THE RACCOONS 629 



Thus they neither hunt their prey among the tree tops, nor gather nuts and fruits 

 from the branches, nor do they feed upon the young shoots and twigs. Trees form, 

 however, their resting and their breeding places, and likewise their refuge when 

 pursued by human or other foes. With the falling shades of night they invariably 

 descend to hunt their prey and search for food. 



Continuing our account in Dr. Merriam's own words, we find that in the 

 Adirondack region ' ' the raccoon hibernates during the severest part of the winter, 

 retiring to his nest rather early, and appearing again in February or March, accord- 

 ing to the earliness or lateness of the season. Disliking to wade through deep 

 snow he does not come out much till the alternate thawing and freezing of the 

 surface, suggestive of coming spring, makes a hard crust upon which he can run 

 with ease. He does not usually walk many miles during a single night, and con- 

 sequently is soon tracked to the tree, in some hole of which he has retired for the 

 day. It is unusual to find a raccoon alone, for they commonly live and travel in 

 small companies, consisting of the several members of a single family. They do 

 not return to the same nest every morning, but often make little excursions in 

 various directions, being gone several days at a time, and taking refuge, about day- 

 light, in any convenient arboreal shelter. Though preferring a hollow limb high 

 up in some giant elm, ash, or basswood, they will put up with almost any kind of a 

 hollow trunk. I have known them to spend the day in old stubs, in hollow logs, 

 and even in the poor shelter afforded by the angle where a falling tree had lodged 

 in a crutch." Probably in Central America and the more southern districts of 

 North America, this raccoon remains active throughout the winter, as the climate 

 would not necessitate any hibernation. In the Adirondacks the young are produced 

 in the spring generally during the month of April; and there are usually from 

 four to six in a litter. They remain with their parent about a year. The nest 

 which, as already mentioned, is placed high up in a tree, has but little care bestowed 

 upon its construction. 



It has long been known that this raccoon is in the habit of moistening its food 

 with water before eating it; and it doubtless received its distinctive specific name 

 from this habit, which has been of late years verified by Mr. Bartlett's observations 

 on specimens in the Zoological Society's Gardens. The raccoon is one of the most 

 valuable of the fur-bearing animals of North America, and is consequently much 

 persecuted. Raccoon skins were formerly used as a recognized circulating medium 

 in the States of the Mississippi valley, and were usually valued at twenty-five cents 

 apiece. 



According to Mr. D. Arrowsmith, the raccoon may be easily caught in steel 

 traps ; but it is essential that these should be set under water near the margins 

 of swamps or streams. The more sporting method is, however, to hunt these 

 animals at night with specially-trained dogs, which are usually a breed of 

 fox-hounds. It has often been stated that the raccoon leaves a very faint foot 

 scent; but this opinion is controverted by Mr. Arrowsmith, who states that he has 

 known a hound hunt a raccoon at midday over snow, on a trail which had been 

 made the previous night. The raccoons, after a short run, invariably take to 

 the tree, where they are shot by the hunter, unless they conceal themselves in a hole. 



