Feb., 191 2. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 391 



hole in the ground.* Robert Kennicott says it ''chooses its retreat 

 in the cavity of a standing tree. Almost as arboreal as a squirrel, it 

 not only climbs trees and leaps from bough to bough, but pursues its 

 prey among the branches, capturing even the nimble gray-squirrel. 

 The leaps of the fisher are often astonishing, as it has been known to 

 spring to the ground from the height of 40 feet" (/. c, p. 242). 



The young number from i to 5 and are generally born early in May. 



Family PROCYONID.^. Raccoons. 



With the exception of a single oriental genusf the members of this 

 family are confined to the New World. All are of medium size. In 

 some ways they resemble the Bears and at one time were included in 

 the same family. They are plantigrade animals, practically omniv- 

 orous, and are at home both in trees and on the ground. The well 

 known Coatis, or Coati Mundis of Tropical America, belong to the 

 family, as well as the curious Crab-eating Raccoon found in South 

 America. 



These animals have two tuberculate molars on each side of both 

 jaws and the carnassial teeth differ somewhat from the usual type, 

 being broad with several sharp points on the crowns. Other characters 

 for the family are audital buU^ somewhat flattened and undivided; 

 no alisphenoid canal in American species; condyloid and postglenoid 

 foramina are present; the kidneys are simple and a caecum is appar- 

 ently absent; the os penis is long, the terminal portion being curved 

 sharply upward. 



Two genera and seven species and subspecies are found in the 

 United States, but only one occurs within our limits. In our species 

 the round bushy tail is marked with distinct dark rings (annulated) and 

 the teeth are 40 in number. 



Subfamily PROCYONINiE. 

 Genus PROCYON Storr. 



Procyon Storr, Prodr. Meth. Mamm., 1780, p. 35. Type Ursus lotor 

 . Linn. 

 Head broad; muzzle pointed; tail bushy, cylindrical and annulated; 

 ears erect and comparatively short ; toes five, on all feet; soles of feet 



* Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XXVIIL 1905, p. 709. 



t Some authorities also include the Bear-like genus Aeluropus in this family. 



