The Raccoon 49 



but they are ever ready for a "square meal," their 

 hunger driving them sometimes to farm buildings in 

 search of food. One morning a friend of mine found 

 a raccoon in his woodshed feeding upon a chicken 

 that had been killed the night before. 



Long and varied is the menu of the raccoon, con- 

 sisting in part of nuts, frogs, fish, mollusks, turtles, 

 poultry, and corn; but corn in the milk is the food 

 most sought after the season of young corn is 

 the " watermelon" time for 'coons both old and 

 young. 



These prowlers of the night are also exceedingly 

 fond of fish and they love to wade in the shallow 

 water along the brooks, rivers, and ponds, overturning 

 stones in search of them. I have often seen their 

 fresh trails in the mud, perhaps two or three going in 

 the same direction, as though they hunted in friendly 

 companies. Fish sometimes venture into shallow 

 water, and then must the raccoon make the most of 

 his opportunity; for he cannot, like the otter, pursue 

 the fish under water. His ability to catch fish de- 

 pends largely upon the dexterous use of his fore 

 paws. I have never seen a wild raccoon fishing, but 

 I believe that his method is the following: when a 

 fish ventures into shallow water, within reach of the 

 raccoon, the paw is used like a scoop and the haul is 



