1534 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



to pursue fish in the water, though he may, sometimes, 

 capture them in other ways. He very much prefers to 

 hunt at night rather than in the day time ; and where the 

 forests are thick, he passes along from tree to tree as 

 readily as on the ground, robbing nests in his course, or 

 pouncing on their owners, or snapping up such insects 

 as fail to get out of his way. 



The racoon has a habit that is not indulged in by any 

 other animal. If given a piece of meat, he will not touch 

 a mouthful until he has washed it in as clear water as 

 he can find, and he will allow no one to do this for 

 him. So thoroughly does he perform this task, that he 

 not only soaks all the blood out of the meat, but actually 

 reduces the morsel to a very uninviting, flabby piece of 

 pale flesh. He will roll it over and over in the water 

 with his fore paws, and give it occasional shakings by 

 seizing it in his mouth. Finally, when it is semi-macer- 

 ated to his liking, he will devour it with apparent relish. 

 The writer has tried racoons with pieces of raw meat ; 

 and, although the animal will hold the piece in his mouth, 

 he will immediately commence to hunt around for some 

 water to wash it in. Failing to find any, he soon ex- 

 hibits his distress and annoyance ; in fact, he must be 

 very hungry indeed before he will condescend to eat a 

 piece of raw meat that he has not previously washed to 



his complete satisfaction. Racoons will also wash an 

 ear of corn in the same fashion, and it was this habit 

 that prompted Linnaeus to bestow the specific name of 

 lotor upon this interesting animal. 



In their "American Animals," Stone and Cram say that 

 the racoon, "like most other climbing animals, make 

 frequent use of the nests of hawks to sleep in. At other 

 times they flatten themselves along the thick branch of 

 a tree, their gray fur harmonizing admirably with the 

 color of the bark, or else they ascend to the tops of 

 densely foliaged hemlocks, and, circling their fat bodies 

 completely around the main stem, doze away in comfort, 

 supported by the numerous elastic branches about them, 

 quite invisible from the ground. If a company of blue 

 jays discover one in this position, there is sure to be a 

 tremendous racket right away, their shrill voices jarring 

 the quiet of the tree-tops like an alarm clock set to 

 awaken the 'coon from his slumbers." 



The racoon has a peculiar cry at night ; it is not 

 unlike the note of several species of owls that inhabit the 

 same region, and may easily be mistaken for it. Tame 

 racoons, especially when they have been reared from 

 the young, are wonderfully playful in captivity, and will 

 often amuse themselves by the hour toying with any 

 small object suspended a foot or so above the ground by 



AN ADULT COATI-MUNDI 



Redrawn by the author. In nature this animal is met with in troops made up of a number of individuals. They are excellent climbers 

 and feed upon honey, insects, eggs, various fruits and vegetables, small quadrupeds, and probably other animals. 



