The Raccoon 47 



ments are like those of the bear-, while in climbing 

 about in trees his shambling gait disappears, and he 

 becomes at once a graceful animal. He may well 

 be a good climber, for he uses a hollow in a tree for 

 a nest, and many are the trips he makes to and from 

 the ground. Here in this cavity the baby raccoons, 

 varying in number from three to six, are born about 

 the first of April, and they are said to remain with 

 the mother for nearly a year. This nest is their 

 resting-place during the day at all seasons of the 

 year, although they are occasionally found curled 

 up sound asleep in a hollow log or stump. The 

 young grow rapidly, and by the time the field corn 

 is in the milk they have for some time been following 

 the mother on her nightly excursions. 



Although the raccoon is usually thought to be 

 nocturnal in habits, I am led to believe that when it 

 is cloudy he roams about quite freely in the daytime. 

 This habit of roving around at night seems to apply 

 more particularly to wild raccoons than to tame ones, 

 two tame ones that I have in mind being abroad 

 several hours of each day. 



Observers have very generally stated that the 

 raccoon hibernates more or less, according to the 

 severity of the winter; nevertheless, I believe that 

 cold weather does not affect him so much as the 



