THE RACOON. 67 



and is decorated with about seven transverse bands of blackish 

 brown, alternating with bands of a whitish colour. 



When standing still the entire sole of the foot rests on the 

 ground ; but in walking or running, the heel is raised before 

 the toe is lifted from the surface 5 hence the progression of the 

 racoon is not so strictly plantigrade as that of the bear. Its 

 gait is heavy and awkward, and, when walking, the body is 

 not kept in a straight position, but in an oblique one, so that 

 it proceeds somewhat sideways ; yet it moves actively, and 

 often succeeds in escaping from its pursuers. 



It climbs trees easily, sports among the branches with great 

 agility, and runs along the surface of a slanting trunk or stem 

 as nimbly as upon the ground. It can easily stand on the 

 hind feet. It grasps objects with its paws, not, however, by 

 contracting a single paw, but by opposing the one to the other, 

 and in this way it conveys its food to the mouth. 



Though the pupils of its eyes are round, it does not perceive 

 objects very distinctly in a strong light, and it is not very neces- 

 sary that it should, for it remains still and coiled up inside the 

 hollows of trees and other retreats during the day j the night 

 being the time when it is most active, and chiefly in search of 

 food. 



The racoon feeds on crabs,* snails, worms, beetles, and other 

 insects. It also devours birds and their eggs, to obtain which 

 it sometimes climbs to the very tops of the highest trees. Mr. 

 Goodrich, an American, says, that whenever racoons can enter 

 a poultry-yard, they kill great numbers of fowls, eating only the 

 head or sucking the blood, which flows from the neck. Some 

 tame specimens will eat oysters and other mollusks, and display 

 great dexterity in opening the shells, and extracting the contents. 

 But besides the above-mentioned animals, they also feed upon 

 sugar-cane, corn, maize, fruits, roots, and other vegetable sub- 

 stances. They are exceedingly fond of sweets, and to obtain 



* The South American species is so partial to these crustaceans, that it has 

 acquired the name of crab- eater, which is also the meaning of its technical 

 name P. cancrivorus. 



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