66 



in the fore foot; the claw of the second reaches to end of third; the 

 thumb is shortest. On the hind-foot, the first toe is much shortest ; third 

 and fourth, sub-equal and longest ; the second and fifth are about equal, 

 their claws reaching to the bases of the claws of third and fourth. 



Two North American species are recognized, ours, and Procyon hernan- 

 dezii of Texas, and west to the Pacific. 



Peocyon lotor (Linn.) Storr. 

 Eaccoon; •'Coon." 

 1758. Urms lotor, Linn., Syst. Nat , i, 1758, 48 ; 1766, 70.— Schreb., Saug., 

 iii, 1778, 521.— ErxL, Syst. Nat., 1777, 165.— Gm., Syst. Nat, i, 

 1778, 103.— Harlan, Fn. Amer., 1825, 53. 

 1780. Procyon lotor, Storr, Prod. Meth. Anim., 1780. — Desm., Mamm., i, 

 1820, 168.— Griff., An.Kingd., v, 1827, 114.— Fischer., Syn , 1829, 

 147.— Rich., Fn. Bor. Amer., i, 1829, 36.— Doughty's Cab. N. H., 

 ii, 1832, 73, pi. 7.— De Kay, N. Y. Zool., i, 1842, 26— Aud. & 

 Bach., Q. N. A., ii, 1851, 74, pi. 61.— Baird, Mam. N. A., 1857, 

 209.— Allen, Bull. M. C. Z., i, 1869, 181; ii, 1871, 170.— Coues 

 and Yarrow, Expl. and Surv. West 100th Merid., vol. v, 64, 1875. 

 1784. Meles lotor, Bodd., Elenchus Animal., 1784, 80. 



Specific Characters.— 'General color grayish-white; the tips of the long 

 hairs are black, and impart this color to the back; under fur dark- 

 brown. A large, oblique, black patch on the cheek, continuous with a 

 paler one beneath the jaw ; another behind the ear. End of muzzle, ex- 

 cept the upper line, together with the posterior border of the cheek- 

 patch whitish. Tail slightly tapering.; tip and'fiverings black; these rings 

 as broad as the rusty-white interspaces. Hind feet not exceeding four 

 inches; above, dirty-whitish. Fore feet not exceeding above 2f inches. 

 Varies in being nearly black, with the markings obscured; sometimes 

 more or less yellowish or white, with obsolete markings or none. A de- 

 cided tendency to albinism. 



Measurements.— A specimen in the flesh had the following dimensions 

 in inches : Nose, to root of tail, 22J inches; nose to end of outstretched 

 legs, 23^ inches ; nose to eye, 2J; to ear, 4 J. Tail, from root to end of 

 vertebrae, lOJ; to end of hairs, 12J inches. Ears, height in front, 2J; 

 height behind, 2^ ; width. If. Arms, between claws, across shoulder, 27 ; 

 length of fore-arm, 4|; longest claw, ^ inch. Leg, from knee-joint to 

 end of claw, 8f ; hind foot, from heel to end of claws, 4 inches. 



The colors of the exterior are due to the long, stiff hairs interspersed 

 among the basal hair. Along the back these hairs are black at the end, 

 and usually elsewhere. Sub-terminally the hairs are broadly whitish ; 

 then follows a ring of light-brownish, and the base i" whit'sh. T'^o ha'r 



