RACOON. 



509 



six in each side of each ja\v, the three posterior ones 

 tuberculated, and the three anterior with sharp points ; 

 they range in a more uniform line than in the bears, 

 which have the anterior cheek-teeth small, and not 

 lasting ; the canines of the racoons are flat length- 

 wise, and straight in their axes ; the tails of the 

 animals are also long , but in other respects their 

 bodies are very like miniatures of bears. The carni- 

 vorous tooth bears a considerable resemblance to that 

 of the cat family, and thus shows that the habit of the 

 animal is more decidedly carnivorous than that of the 

 bear. The head is large, and triangular in the pro- 

 tile, and the muzzle is slender and pointed, but not 

 so much produced as in the Coali ; the ears are short, 

 and of an oval shape ; the eyes are of mean size, and 

 have the pupils round ; the tongue is soft and smooth. 

 The females have six mamma;, which are seated in 

 the groin ; the legs are short, and they have five toes 

 upon each, armed with sharp and crooked, bat not 

 retractile claws. Though this genus of animals is 

 included in the plantigrade group, it is not so decid- 

 edly plantigrade as some of the others. It is true 

 that, when it stands still, it applies the whole sole of 

 the foot to the ground ; but, when it walks or runs, it 

 raises the heel, and rests on the fore part of the foot 

 only. It is thus a much more nimble animal than 

 the bears ; and, though its habits are not very well 

 known, it is understood to be an expert climber, 

 using either the claws or the embrace, as may be 

 best, and speedily getting to the tops of the highest 

 trees. They cat indiscriminately animal and vege- 

 table substances ; and in the state of nature they are 

 understood to be great destroyers of eggs. Their 

 sagacity is considerable ; but still, as they are not 

 very powerfully armed, they are rather timid-animals, 

 and do not approach dwellings with the same hardi- 

 hood as animals decidedly carnivorous. There are 

 two species, both inhabitants of America, though not. 

 of the northern parts of that continent. 



THE COMMON RACOON (P. Lotor}. This is the one 

 which is best known. It inhabits the warmer parts 

 of America, especially Guyana; but it is rather an 

 animal of concealment, and therefore its manners are 

 hut little known. In si/.e, and in the colours of its 

 fur, it bears some resemblance to the foxes, but this 

 resemblance does not extend far ; the hairs are white 

 in the middle, and black at the roots and the points, 

 which produces a kind of grey resembling that which 

 covers what are called the black and silver foxes ; 

 the tail is deep russet, surrounded by four or five 

 rings of black ; the under parts of the body are 

 whitish, and so are the feet and the face, with the 

 exception of a black band, which begins near the 

 eve, and extends down the side of the neck ; the 

 claws have more the character of digging than of 

 prehensile claws ; the soles of the feet are furnished 

 with rive elastic tubercles upon each, one near the 

 heel, one at the base of the thumb of the first toe and 

 of the last toe, and the remaining one between the 

 basis of the two middle ones, which toes are longer 

 than any of the others ; notwithstanding that it is par- 

 tially digitigrade, and does not apply the whole 

 length of the foot at ever}' plant, the racoon is rather 

 . a clumsy walker, and their gait may be described as 

 being heavy compared with the true digitigrade 

 animals, though it is light as compared with that of 

 the bears. They can readily stand erect on their 

 hind feet, and lay hold with their fore ones ; but this 

 operation of grasping is not performed by the con- 



tracting of one paw, but by pressing 1 both together. 

 They do not possess the same pliability in the inter- 

 nal part of the fingers as the quadrumana, but, by 

 clasping both paws together, they can by this means 

 carry their food to their mouth. The animals have ;i 

 habit of plunging their food in water, and then rolling 

 it between their paw?, before they devour it. Their 

 sight is very delicate, and they have great difficulty 

 in distinguishing objects in the bright sunshine, or 

 any other strong light. In the day-time they gene- 

 rally remain inactive, seated on their posteriors, with 

 the head reclining between the thighs, thus presenting 

 the appearance of a ball ; but, in the night, they 

 evince considerable activity in roaming abroad in 

 quest of their food, which consists of worms, insects, 

 fruits, and the roots of plants. They move about in. 

 all directions on the surface of the earth, searching 

 the most minute and unfrequented holes and corners 

 in quest of these ; and they also climb trees with 

 great dexterity, for the purpose, no doubt, of robbing 

 and plundering the nests of birds. They are particu- 

 larly fond of drinking water, which they do by suck- 

 ing it up into the mouth, and there is no necessary of 

 life on which they seem to set greater value, or to 

 relish more. They are said to frequent the banks of 

 rivers and the sea-shore, for the purpose of catching 

 mollusca and fishes, which are their most favourite 

 food. They are very delicate in the sense of smell- 

 ing, but their organs of hearing are very imperfect. 

 Their appearance resembles the bears more than any 

 other of the carnassiers. Their generally fat condi- 

 tion of body, together with the thickness of fur with 

 which the}' are clothed, gives them a clumsy rotun- 

 dity of form. They have an extremely tufted tail, 

 but it does not appear to be employed for any parti- 

 cular purpose in the economy of the animal. They 

 are by no means difficult to tame soon become 

 familiar and seem to court caresses ; but they do 

 not seem to possess the quality of attachment to their 

 master, or the docility to obey his commands. In 

 order to prevent them from escaping, it is necessary 

 to keep them chained up ; for, though captivity 

 softens their nature to a considerable extent, they 

 never seem to yield up that spirit of independence 

 which they possess in the wild state. 



Animals of this species have been frequently 

 brought to Europe, and thus people are well ac- 

 quainted with its form and structure ; but very little 

 is known of its economy in a state of nature, as this 

 can never be learned from an animal in a state of con- 

 finement. We do not know the period of gestation, 

 or the numbers of the young, though, from the six 

 teats on the female, one might be inclined to suppose 

 that it is considerable. Something must no doubt 

 depend on the fact of all the teats being in the groin, 

 for females which produce numerous litters generally 

 have them distributed over a considerable length of 

 the under part. In some parts of South America 

 there are either different species or variously-coloured 

 varieties, as some are of a rosy hue, and others are 

 yellowish. In other respect?, however, they are 

 much alike. The fine fur of all of them felts remark- 

 ably well, has a fine lustre, and retains its colour 

 well when dyed, so that it is in considerable request 

 with the manufacturers of hats. 



THE CRAB RACOON (P. canccrrm-lits) is an inha- 

 bitant of the warmer parts of South America, where 

 it frequents the shores of the sea and the banks of 

 the rivers, \vhere it subsists in considerable part upon 



