144 BULLETIN NO. VII. 



held up a full grown raccoon which, even added to the excite- 

 ment of the chase, hardly mitigated the disappointment in the 

 failure to secure an Alabama opossum. 



Description of a specimen of raccoon taken Aug. 27, 1884: This 

 animal while young, was evidently over a year old. It throve 

 and grew well and became a great favorite by its amiability and 

 eccentricity. 



The moult was in progress or rather nearly completed at 

 this time. The old hair comes out in bunches, (i. e. the under 

 fur), and was replaced by a darker shade. The fur was, of 

 course far from being as full, long and strikingly colored as in 

 winter. 



The colors are as follows: Base of fur light sepia brown or 

 a somewhat warmer tint. This ground color affects the exter- 

 nal appearance little, except below where it is less completely 

 obscured by the terminal part of the hairs. It does, however, 

 tone down the external coloration everywhere. The general 

 grey of the body is produced by the color of the longer and 

 coarser hairs which have a median portion of white or light, 

 but impure olivacious yellow and a longer or shorter terminal 

 portion of dark brown or black. The chief difference between 

 a winter and summer pelage is produced by the greater length 

 of the dark terminal portion in the former. Underneath the 

 terminal band is lacking and the color, except on the throat, is 

 pure white upon the plumbeous or brown color of the under 

 fur. Above the middle band of the hairs is distinctly yellow- 

 ish and along the back the black tips are conspicuous and in 

 winter give the appearance of a dark median stripe or band. 



Upon the head are distinct markings consisting of the fol- 

 lowing dark areas on a white ground. A median band of yellow- 

 ish brown beginning on the nose and becoming blackish be- 

 tween the eyes, terminating upon the forehead, and a band li 

 inches wide crossing the cheeks diagonally and including the eye. 

 The top of the head partakes of the color of the back, but the 

 base of the ears and an irregular spot behind them is dark. A 

 dark band nearly meets the facial one below upon the throat. 

 The ears are white-tipped. No other marking occurs except 

 upon the tail where the yellowish cast is more pronounced and 

 the lighter color is broken by rings or annulations of black. 

 In this case there are six rings aside from the terminal pencil 

 of black hairs. A more or less distinct garter of black or 

 brown marks the hinder leg. The exposed part of the skin is 

 black; elsewhere it is white. 



