392 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [15:9— Dec, 1919 



drawn quavering "Who-oo-oo-oo," something like the soft mellow 

 note of the screech owl but more squally. 



The hind foot of the raccoon makes a track in the soft earth, or 

 roadside dust, or snow that is shaped almost like a miniature 

 human foot with its distinct heel. The fore feet make tracks in 

 pairs, a few inches apart. When walking, the coon steps flat 

 footed; when running, however, he goes on his toes like a dog. 

 The skunk's track is somewhat similar, also having a distinct heel 

 mark, but the toes are not separated as in the raccoon. The wood- 

 chuck's track is smaller and shows the thumb mark by the side. 



The home of the raccoon is preferably a hollow limb in a tall 

 tree top, or a hollow stub standing or on the ground, or even a hole 

 in a cliff or niche in rocks if none of these are available. Here or in 

 an abandoned nest of squirrel or hawk or even atop a gray barked 

 limb, he spends the daylight hours, for the raccoon is essentially a 

 night traveler, returning to the same retreat usually on the follow- 

 ing day. 



After the sumptuous foraging of the late fall, the raccoon is in a 

 plump condition to spend his hibernation which begins at the 

 arrival of cold weather. This is usually spent in the den of the 

 past season, where a family of six or eight sometimes remain 

 together. Their rest is apparently quite unchanged during the 

 severe weather; a few warm days often tempt them forth, but they 

 scurry back again at the next cold wave. In the early spring they 

 appear, quite emaciated, and wander forth across the fallen leaf 

 carpet and snow patches while the branches overhead are still 

 quite bare. 



The den is the nursery where the young, which looking like kittens ; 

 are born they stay there from April or May to June, occasionally 

 appearing at the entrance on bright da^^s to take a sun bath or greet 

 a returning parent, for the father raccoon quite regularly assists the 

 mother in taking care of the family. Later in July they venture 

 forth accompanying their parents in single file, watching and obey- 

 ing their actions and instructions in excursions to the borders of 

 swamps and streams, and become generally acquainted with coon 

 lore and the part they are to take in woodland events. They 

 sometimes take side excursions but return again to the family 

 shelter, usually remaining together until the following spring. 



Although having his home and spending most of the daylight 

 hours in the tree tops, the racoon moves about much more slowly 

 than does the marten and squirrel. On the ground he shuffles 



