112 NATURALISTS CABINET. 



Description of the Racoon Food, &c. 



in the Museum of Natural History at Paris, was 

 so greatly incommoded by the heat, that the 

 keepers, throughout the year, were obliged to 

 throw upon it sixty or seventy pails of water a 

 day to refresh it. 



A very fine animal of this species is now in the 

 Tower of London. 



THE RACOON. 



THIS animal is somewhat less than the bad- 

 ger; being about two feet in length, exclusive of 

 the tail, which measures twelve inches* The 

 back is rather arched, and the hind legs are lar- 

 ger than the others. The head resembles that 

 of a fox, but the ears are much shorter, and the 

 upper jaw very pointed and larger than the other. 

 The colour of the body is a dark grey; but the 

 face is white, and the eyes are surrounded by a 

 black band, from which a dusky stripe runs along 

 the nose. It inhabits North America, and seve- 

 ral of the West India islands. 



The food of these animals, in a state of nature, 

 consists principally of maize, sugar-canes, and 

 various sorts of fruits. They are also supposed 

 to devour birds, and their eggs. When near the 

 shores, they live much on shell-fish, and particu- 

 larly on oysters. It is said, that they will watch 

 the opening of the shell, dextrously put in their 

 paw, and tear out the contents: sometimes how- 

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