Raccoon 
pend largely upon strategy to accomplish their ends. Fish is 
probably not a very steady article of diet with them at any 
season, for, though good swimmers and not at all averse to 
entering the water, they lack both the skill and the suppleness 
of the mink and otter which would enable them to plunge in 
Doldly and seize their prey with their teeth. 
From the accounts of numerous eye-witnesses it would ap- 
pear to be a pretty regular practice with them to lie in wait 
at the edge of the water and hook out any fish that comes 
within reach by a smart stroke of the fore paw with claws 
extended. 
Being night wanderers, they undoubtedly often manage to 
surprise sleeping birds, both on the ground and among the 
branches, as it is a common custom with them in thick woods 
to travel for long distances among the tree-tops without once 
descending to earth, robbing the nests of birds and squirrels on 
the way. 
Try to imagine the terror of a family of squirrels, sleeping 
snuggled up together within their thick walls, at having this 
great shaggy monster come scrambling along the branches at 
midnight and proceed to tear their roof to pieces above their 
heads, compelling them to scatter as best they may, blind as 
humans in the darkness, and wholly at a disadvantage against 
this night-seeing enemy. 
On the ground the raccoon prowls about wet places from 
choice, along the borders of swamps and _ brooksides, following 
the paths made by sheep and cattle where they go down -to 
drink. Every fallen tree on his path tempts him to mount and 
run along it to the other end, this habit being so _ universal 
with the raccoon family that coon-trapping is often successfully 
followed by simply setting steel traps on prostrate logs without 
any bait or other inducement whatever, though occasionally a 
piece of tin or other shining metal is hung just over the trap 
to attract his attention in the moonlight, the coon’s curiosity 
being proverbial. It is said that on discovering anything of the 
kind one will amuse himself for hours sitting upright and strik- 
ing it with his paws to make it whirl and spin in the air. 
His thick fur enables him, like the bears, to rifle bee trees 
in comparative safety, and to dig bumblebees’ and hornets’ nests 
out of the turf. 

