6iLPIN — ON NOVA SCOtlAX MAifMALS. 6& 



Of the many skins of this also lato arrival amongst us which 

 1 have examined, as well as living and dead specimens, they agree 

 generally with the description of Audubon, and Baird. I think 

 our raccoons are larger and darker, and among them a greater 

 tendency to negritism. Among many dark skins, I have seen 

 one that in colour resembled the best specimen of the black fox, 

 the rings upon the tail being barely discernible. Usually he is 

 of a yellowish-grey, mixed with long black hairs, and a little 

 fusty thrown upon shoulders and rump. Audubon, speaking of 

 the black patch on either side of the face, says it " passes the 

 eyes over the nose." I think this must be an error of the 

 printer, as ail our specimens ha-v e the nose very conspicuons, a 

 grey ridge between the spectacled eyes. He is rapidly in- 

 creasing in our forests, and doubtless hybernates during the 

 winter months. I have never met his tracks in tlie snow, but 

 have known of his having been cut out of a hollow tree in 

 mid-winter, in which a hog that had escaped and run wild had 

 also taken her tempor:iry refuge. A fowl-house, at a farm 

 where I was one night, was diligently searched to discover tlw 

 reason ol the discordant scieams of its inmates. The flare of^ 

 die lantern, after looking everywhere, was at last reflected by a 

 pair of twinkling eyes in the farthest corner of the roof-tree t 

 Vfe soon had the pretty black paws and beady eyes relaxed in 

 death, much more, I own, to the satisfaction of the farmer than 

 my own. He has penetrated the Vrhole length of the north 

 side of the valley of Annapolis during the last thirty years, iu 

 such numbers as to damage the crops of the mountain farms ; 

 whilst on the southern side, separated by river and basin, he is 

 unknown. Our Indians did not know him on his first invasion. 

 May we hope that he will make good his cjuarters, and that his 

 prying, mincing gait, droll frolics, and round, humpy form, com- 

 mingling agility with strength, may never be wanting to our piney 

 woods or brawl i no- streams. 



Note. — Lcs Caibot, who visited Nova Scotia in 1606, speaks of small animals, 

 very round and fat, which had black paws like monkeys, as plenty there at that time. 

 These must have been raccoons. I note this as curious that tliey should retire liefore 

 civilization, and then return .300 years afterwards under so different circumstances — 

 to cultivated fields instead of primeval forests, to com and maize instead of wild fruits 

 and berries. 



