THE RACCOON. 



• 



The Raccoon. 



The Raccoon is an inhabitant of Canada and other parts of America. It derives its name, lotor, from the 

 habit it is said to possess of washing its food before eating it. It is about the size of a large fox. Its 

 skin is very valuable, and is much sought after by American hunters, who pride themselves on their skill 

 in shooting this active and wary animal. 



The fond of the Raccoon is principally small animals and insects. Oysters are also a favorite article of 

 its diet. It bites off the hinge of the oyster, and scrapes out the animal in fragments with its paws. Like 

 a squirrel when eating a nut, the Raccoon usually holds its food between its fore-paws pressed together, and 

 sits upon its hind-quarters while it eats. Poultry are favorite objects of its attack, and it is said to be as 

 destructive in a farm-yard as any fox, for it only devours the head of the fowl. Like the fox, it prowls by 

 night. When taken young it is easily tamed, but very frequently becomes blind soon after its capture. 

 This effect is supposed to be produced by the sensitive state of its eyes, which are only intended, to be used 



by night ; but as it is frequently 

 awakened by daylight during its 

 ej^^Bpfe^ captivity, it suffers so much from the 



fljjllggpll^ unwonted glare, that its eyes gradu- 



ally loose their sight. 



: :.-> 



Rili-cnon 



(MO) 



