222 ORDER V. 



whitish, with a hroad hlackish streak or band pass- 

 ing across the forehead, and descending on each 

 side to the angle of the jaw ; the tail has five or six 

 rings of brownish-hlack, interchanged with as many 

 of a lighter colour. We have drawn a specimen 

 at New York, which was rufous-grey like a fox, 

 with muzzle, limbs, under surface, and the lighter 

 rings of tail, nearly white. The Californian have 

 often much bright rufous about the limbs and in the 

 rings of the tail, and we have heard of a case of 

 albinism. A full sized Racoon measures, in our 

 notes, about 2' 8", the tail 10" ; total length 3 feet 

 6, and in height at the shoulder 10 inches. The 

 species is nocturnal, although the pupils of the eyes 

 are round. Like most of the Carnivora of America, 

 it will feed on fish and mollusca. 



Procyon gularis. Black-throated Racoon. Is 

 described, by Desmarets after M. Beauvoir, as 

 smaller, with a longer tail and narrower head than 

 the common. A specimen which we examined alive 

 in the State of New York, was larger than that 

 whose dimensions are given above, and differed by 

 the colours being in general darker and lighter ; the 

 whole throat was black, and the tail, not more 

 than 8 inches long, was equally thick to the end. 

 We were told that the two varieties are never found 

 together. 



