10 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA (^0. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



Next to sugar the raccoons preferred l^oiled beef and they were almost equally 

 fond of uncooked apples, peaches, plums, and cherries. My animals never ate 

 the raw beef which we offered them a few times. Some raccoons have been forced 

 to eat it but they do not appear to thrive on such food. My raccoons were often 

 seen to catch and eat flies. They would eat grains of corn, even when dry and 

 hard, if they were hungry. Bread made of either corn-meal or flour was readily 

 accepted. It seems evident, therefore, that the raccoon in his native haunts lives 

 upon forest fruits and buds, and upon flies, beetles, minnows, etc. . . . 



So far as I could observe the raccoons did not often employ the sense of smell, 

 though this may have been due to their captive condition. In no case did they 

 seem to find pieces of meat on the floor by means of smell. If one of them saw 

 a small piece of meat dropped in the hay on the floor he would search for it care- 

 fully but beyond a distance of a few inches he did not seem to smell it. They 

 found small pieces of loaf sugar on the floor quite as promptly as they did meat, 

 3'et from the standpoint of the human sense of smell sugar has no odor. 



In one case smell was evident. When the animals were to be fed the basin of 

 food was usually placed on the step while the door was being unlocked. During 

 this time all of the raccoons sniffed noisily at the crack beneath the door. When 

 it was opened, however, they looked for the food basin. So in this case smell was 

 evident only when sight could not be used. 



The studies of Cole indicated that the raccoon has a keen sense of 

 sight. In regard to hearing he says: 



This appears to be the special protective sense of the raccoon. The slightest 

 sound produced (1st) perfect immobility, and (2d) fear and scurrying to the 

 highest part of their place of confinement. . . . 



Every sound at a distance was listened to intently for several seconds after the 

 experimenter had ceased to hear it. On one occasion all the raccoons became 

 still and yet the observers could hear no sound. Investigation showed that a 

 man was trundling a wheelbarrow over the grass plot at least 100 yards distant 

 from the house in which the raccoons were kept. 



The sound cau.sed by dropping on the floor a piece of meat, one-half the size of 

 a grain of corn, was often heard by each of the animals. They turned directly 

 toward the source of the sound. Hence they not only hear faint sounds but 

 localize them well. Localization was further tested by putting raccoon No. 3 in 

 a large box with a solid back. The experimenter then scratched on the outside of 

 the back of the box with a small stick. The raccoon turned directly to the spot. 

 The place was changed some two feet. He turned instantly to the new place and 

 grasped with both forepaws at the exact spot. He did this repeatedly. His 

 behavior suggests that localization of sound is much more definite than that of the 

 human ear. His grasping at the spot might indicate that the raccoon catches 

 some small prey partly by the aid of hearing. . . . 



On the principle that animals which make sounds hear sounds we may, in con- 

 nection with hearing, mention the sounds which the raccoon is capable of making. 

 A warning growl always accompanied eating when they were fed. When hungry 

 they sometimes emit a sound about midway between a whine and a purr, "a 

 whimpering cry." This sound is well-known to woodsmen and is far more char- 

 acteristic of the young than of the adult animal. . . . When forcibly held their 

 whining and growling is somewhat similar to that of a dog. In fighting the animal 

 gives short, sharp barks as he snaps. 



Turning once more to the whining-purr, there is less and less of it (in captivity) 

 as the animals grow older and only long waiting for food produces it. In the 



