1 82 MAMMALS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY. 



Stouter than in the marten and the claws much longer and stouter. The fur 

 is coarser and looser than the marten's, with coarse, shining, bristly hairs in- 

 termixed. The color is variable but a general pattern and hue prevails. It 

 is darker below than above ; belly, legs and tail being almost black. The 

 upper parts lighten more and more as the head is reached, from brownish- 

 black to grayish or even hoary-brown or tawny. The usual patches of lighter 

 color (white) are found on chest, arm pits, or even the belly between thighs. 

 Old specimens are the lightest colored, some become nearly white. 



Measurements. — Total length, 890 mm. (35 in.); tail vertebrae, 355 (14); 

 hind foot, 120 (4^). 



Family Procyonid^e ; Racoons. 

 Genus Procyon Storr, Prodromus Method. Mammal, 1780, p. 35. 

 Northeastern Racoon ; Coon. Procyon lotor Linnseus. 



1758. \Ursus'\lotor Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, vol. i, p. 48. 



1819. Procyon lotor Desmarest, Dictionaire d' Histoire Naturelle, vol. 29, 

 p. 91. 



Type locality. — Eastern United States. 



Faunal distribution. — Lower Canadian, transition and austral zones, New 

 England to Georgia, west to Rocky Mts. 



Distribution in Pa. and N.J. — Uniformly numerous in all wooded tracts 

 in the two states except those most populous in the near vicinity or suburbs 

 of towns. Often found even in these situations as an explorer after poultry. 



Habits, etc. — These are so familiar, I will merely allude to their economic 

 status. Dr. Warren reports several answers from correspondents which con- 

 demn this animal as a stealer of fish, especially trout. Others say it does not 

 catch many of these but is after cray fish chiefly. His raids on nesting tur- 

 keys I can vouch far, the eggs being sucked. His destruction of poultry is 

 occasionally severe and he likes green maize ears dearly. No doubt he is a 

 d.estroyer of birds' nests, eggs and young, both terrestrial' and arboreal. He 

 catches some mice, but being a slow sort of fellow, prefers more leisurely 

 employment. On this account, he is quite a vegetarian, grapes, nuts, fruits 

 and certain vegetables, falling to his share. His furs for warmth and his car- 

 cass for food about compensate for the direct losses sustained by humanity in 

 his depredations. Warren, however, thinks him entitled to persecution, a 

 thing to which the coon has become so accustomed that probably neglect 

 would be a more speedy means of extinction. We all devoutly wish his sur- 

 vival, however, as being one of the most characteristic Americans that wel- 

 comed Columbus. 



