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THE CARNIVORES 



nocturnal of all North- American Mammals, yet they may occasionally be seen abroad 

 on cloudy days. In diet they are thoroughly carnivorous feeding upon mice, young 

 birds, birds' eggs, fresh-water tortoises and their eggs, frogs, fish, crawfish, mol- 

 lusks, insects, nuts, fruits, and corn ; while they will sometimes kill and eat do- 

 mestic poultry. They delight to sport in the shallow water on the margins of pools 



THE COMMON RACCOON. 



(One-eighth natural size.) 



and streams, where they capture the crawfish lurking beneath the stones, and the 

 fresh-water mussels buried in the mud and sand. They also catch such fish as hap- 

 pen to get stranded or detained in the small pools near the shore, although they are 

 unable to dive in pursuit of their prey. They are, however, good swimmers. Al- 

 though first-rate climbers, and making their nests in a hollow high up in some large 

 tree, raccoons cannot be considered by any means thoroughly arboreal animals. 



