RACCOONS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA 13 



held and somewhat frightened, also puts both forepaws over his eyes, thus giving 

 a somewhat comical appearance, suggestive of "hiding its face in its hands." 

 Another position in sleep consists in rolling the body almost into a ball with the 

 top of the head placed flat on the floor between the forelegs. In this position even 

 the ears are hardly visible. Though the animal does sleep in other positions 

 these two are most common. It would seem that the raccoon sleeps best, there- 

 fore, with his eyes not only closed but covered, and for protection he depends 

 most upon his lofty nest and its concealment from enenaies. 



Among mental attributes of the raccoon, both Davis (1907, p. 486) 



and Wliitney (1933, p. 112) regard curiosity as an outstanding 



characteristic. 



BKEP]DING 



The period of gestation in Procyon lofor, at least in the northern 

 part of its range, has been (k^termined by various authorities to be 

 about 9 or 10 weeks. One of the more definite records is that of 

 Gander (1928), relating in a single instance to Procyon lotor psora in 

 southern California. An animal kept in captivity was mated January 

 27 to 29 and the young were born April 3. Another record is that of 

 Brown (1936) of 69 days from first coition. 



A litter of small young was collected by E. A. Preble at Tuckerton, 

 N. J., June 23; one taken by B. V. Lilly at Abbeville, La., suggests 

 that in southern localities the season may be more irregular. Rac- 

 coons breed but once a year and four young are usually produced at 

 a birth, but the number may vary from two to six. In regard to 

 breeding in the Adirondacks of northern New York, Merriam (1884, 

 p. 94) says: 



The Raccoon makes its home high up in a hollow of some large tree, preferring 

 a dead limb to the trunk itself. It does little in the way of constructing a nest, 

 and from four to six young are commonly born at a time, generally early in April 

 in this region. The young remain with the mother about a year. 



The act of copulation, rarely recorded in raccoons imder natural 

 conditions, was witnessed by the author on Blackbeard Island, Ga., 

 April 19, 1939. From a point of vantage on high ground in the woods 

 a mated pair, unconscious of his presence, was observed in short 

 grass in the open marsh about 75 yards away. With a pair of field 

 glasses a very clear view of the animals in bright simshine was obtained 

 at short range. When first seen at 2:05 p. m., the female, surmounted 

 by the male, was in a standing position and sexual conjunction 

 appeared to be already complete. Rhythmical movements of the 

 hind quarters of the male were interrupted by periods of quiet. Several 

 times he shifted position slightly from one side to the other, but 

 remained most of the time with his head resting near the median line 

 of the back of the female. The latter remained passive until at the 

 end of about half an hour b}^ the watch she laid her ears back and turned 



