CHAPTER IX. 



now TO CATCH the raccoon. 



The raccoon is well known in the greater part of the 

 American Continent; and the raccoon hunts form the 

 burden of many laughable stories. This animal possesses 

 the mischievousness of the monkey, united with a blood- 

 thirsty and vindictive spirit ; he slaughters the tenants of 

 the ponltry-yard with indiscruninate ferocity, and this in 

 many cases leads to his own destruction, by exciting the 

 vengeance of the farmer. 



Being peculiarly fond of sweet substances, the raccoon 

 is occasionally very destructive to fields of Indian corn. 

 AVhile the ear of the corn is still young, soft and tender, 

 in the milk, and is very sweet, it is then eagerly sought 

 by the raccoon. A family of them, five or six in number, 

 frequently enter fields of corn, and in one night do con- 

 siderable damage, both by the quantity of grain they con- 

 sume, and tlie number of stalks they break down. 



The raccoon is an excellent climber, and his strong, sharp 

 claws effectually secure him from being shaken off the 

 branches of trees. In fact, so tenaciously does this ani- 

 mal hold to any surface upon Avliich it can make an 

 impression with its claws, that it requires a consid- 

 erable exertion of a man's strength to drag him ofi', 



and as long as a single foot remains attached, he con- 

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