560 



Crea^urj; ai |2nhtral 



he seems anxious to acknowledge and caress 

 them. 



" In sandy heaths, coveredwith large bushes 

 of furze," says Mr. Bell, " Rabbits often 

 multiply to a great extent ; as the soil is 

 easily removed, and the dense furze affords 

 a secure cover to their retreat, and a whole- 

 some, ready, and never-failing food ; for 

 the young tops of the plants are found con- 

 stantly eaten down, and the bushes present 

 the appearance of a solid mass, with the 

 surface even and rounded, as far as the 



Kabbits can reach them standint 



their 



hinder legs. They make extensive inroad 

 however, upon corn-fields and plantations, 

 in which they do considerable mischief by 

 devouring the newly-sprung corn, and bark- 

 ing the young trees. They generally retire 

 within their burrows during the day, coming 



abroad about twilight to feed The 



rapid multiplication of the Rabbit would 

 soon render it one of the greatest scourges of 

 our agriculture, were it not, on the one hand, 

 destroyed by numerous birds and beasts of 

 prey, and on the other, sought by man as an 

 article of food, and on account of its fur, 

 which is used for various purposes. The 

 supply for this latter object would, however, 

 be wholly unequal to the demand, were our 

 furriers dependent upon the produce of our 

 country only. Hundreds of thousands of 

 Rabbit-skins are annually imported here 

 from Germany, and other parts of the north- 

 ern and middle districts of Europe, where 

 myriads of Rabbits are bred for this purpose." 



In its wild state the colour of the Rabbit's 

 fur is grayish brown, paler or whitish on the 

 under parts ; its tail black above, and white 

 beneath ; but when domesticated, as every 

 one knows, it varies greatly in colour ; being 

 gray, reddish-brown, or black, more or less 

 mixed with vdrite ; and often perfectly 

 white. In England, Rabbits are reared 

 either in warrens or in hutches : the best 

 situations for the former are sandy hills, on 

 which the juniper is thickly planted, as the 

 leaves of this shrub are eagerly eaten by 

 these animals, and impart a delicate and 

 aromatic flavour to the flesh. The clean- 

 liness of hutches should be particularly 

 attended to ; otherwise their inhabitants 

 will be sickly, and Rabbit-breeding turn out 

 a losing speculation. The ingenuity of 

 Rabbit-fanciers has been shown in the pro- 

 duction of various breeds, chiefly remark- 

 able for the excessive length of their ears ; 

 and we occasionally see them exhibited of 

 such an enormous size and fatness, as to be 

 well entitled to the appellation of "prize 

 cattle." The Half-lop, the Oar-lop, the 

 Perfect-lop, &c., are names by which these 

 varieties are distinguished. 



RABBIT-FISH. A local name for the 

 Northern Chimaera, or King of the Herrings. 

 [See CIIIM^KA.] 



RACOON. (Procyrm lotvr.~) Tliis Planti- 

 grade carnivorous animal is a native of Ame- 

 rica,aud chiefly found in the northern parts of 

 that continent : it is also met with in some of 

 the West Indian islands. Its average length 



very thickly covered 

 nulated with several 



what resembles that of the Fox, the forehead 

 being broad and the nose sharp, but the ears 

 are short and slightly rounded : the body is 

 broad, the back arched, the limbs rather 

 short, and the fore legs shorter than the 

 hinder. Its colour is grayish-brown, with a 

 dusky line running from the top of the head 

 down the middle of the face, ending below 

 the eyes. The tail is ver 

 with hair, and is annul 

 black bars, on a yellowish- white ground. 

 There are, however, several varieties as re- 

 gards colour, In the wild state the Racoon 

 is savage and sanguinary, committing great 

 slaughter among both wild and domesticated 

 birds, as it always destroys a great number 

 without consuming any part of them except 

 the head, or the blood which flows from 

 their wounds ; in this particular resembling 

 the Polecat. It will also occasionally com- 

 mit ravages in plantations of sugar-cane or 

 of Indian corn, especially while the latter is 

 young : it also feeds on various kinds of 

 fruit, and is said to devour birds and their 

 eggs, on which account it has the reputation 

 of being destructive to poultry. This ani- 

 mal is a good climber, and the form of its 

 claws enables it to adhere so firmly to a 

 branch of a tree, that it requires no slight 

 exertion of strength to disengage it. It 

 chiefly feeds by night, keeping in its hole 

 during the day, except in dull weather : 

 it has a kind of oblique gait in walking ; 

 can leap and climb with great ease, and is 

 very frequently seen on trees. In the do- 

 mesticated state it is extremely restless and 

 inquisitive, examining everything ; will live 

 on bread, milk, fish, eggs, &c. ; is particu- 

 larly fond of sweets of every kind, and has 

 as great a dislike to acids. Captivity, how- 

 ever, produces considerable changes in the 

 habits of the Racoon ; for instead, as in a 

 state of nature, of sleeping during the day, 

 and roaming about at night in search of 

 food, it will learn to be active during the 

 day, and to remain quiet at night. In eating, 

 it commonly sits on its hind legs, and uses 

 its fore feet like a squirrel. One of its most 

 marked peculiarities, and on which its spe- 

 cific name of lotor, or the washer, is founded, 

 is its habit of plunging its dry food into 

 water before eating it. It is extremely ex- 

 pert in opening oysters, on which, as well 

 as on crabs and other Crustacea, it frequently 

 feeds. Although when tamed it is noted for 

 its active and playful habits, it is capricious, 

 and not easily reconciled when offended. 

 In its wild state it generally inhabits the 

 hollows of trees ; but when domesticated, it 

 shows no particular inclination for warmth. 

 When inclined to sleep, it rolls itself tip into 

 a kind of ball ; and in this position it sleeps 

 so profoundly as not to be easily disturbed. 

 The female has from two to three young at 

 a birth ; which usually takes place in May. 

 The fur of the Racoon is valuable, particu- 

 larly in the manufacture of hats, and forms 

 no inconsiderable article of commerce. 



RADIATA. A term given to a subdivision 

 of the Animal Kingdom which includes all 



is about two feet from the nose to the tail, and | those animals in which, as in the Star-fish, 

 ihe tail about ten inches. The head some- | Sea Anemone, &c., there is a regular dis- 



