RACCOON AND BASSARISK 



41 



glad to get rid of them. Never buy a Black Bear 

 cub in the belief that it can be kept for amuse- 

 ment and resold at a profit ; but if thine enemy 

 offend thee, present him with a Black Bear cub. 



The Black Bear is a timid animal, and always 

 runs when observed by man. It is a good climb- 

 er, runs quite swiftly when pursued, but in a rough 

 and tumble fight it bawls, roars, and coughs. 



The Glacier Bear, 1 found on the glaciers 

 around Yakutat Bay, near Mt. St. Elias, Alaska, 

 is one of the recent discoveries in the Northwest, 

 but it is so clearly distinct as to merit special 

 notice. Thus far no living specimens have found 

 their way into zoological parks or gardens, and 

 the only mounted skin on exhibition is in the 

 United States National Museum. It is exactly 

 reproduced in the accompanying illustration. 



The species is known to-day only by the single 

 specimen referred to, and a few flat skins. As 

 mounted it is only 24 inches in height at the 

 shoulders, and is beyond question the smallest 

 species of bear in America. Its color is a peculiar 

 bluish gray, on all parts save the muzzle from 

 the eyes forward, which is dark brown or black. 

 The hair is long, very thick, woolly in texture, 

 and stands out straight all over the body. The 

 rarity of this animal in collections, and the long 

 delay in its discovery, are due to the rough, in- 

 hospitable and dangerous character of the coun- 

 try in which it lives. 



THE RACCOON FAMILY. 



Procyonidae. 



The Raccoon, 2 placed next to the bears, is 

 also plantigrade in its manner of walking. It 

 is a cheerfully persistent animal, and no amount 

 of hunting discourages it, or drives it away from 

 its favorite haunts. It is at home in the tim- 

 bered regions of the southern and eastern United 

 States, especially where there are swamps, — for 

 the Raccoon loves to play in water. In the West 

 it ranges from Arizona to British Columbia. 



Its favorite dwelling-place is a hollow tree, 

 and its yearly family consists of five or six young. 

 In its appetite, it is as omnivorous as any bear, 

 and eats everything that it can chew, — from live 

 rabbits down to green corn, — fish, flesh, or fowl. 

 The only point on which the Raccoon is particu- 



1 Ur'sus em'mous-i. 



2 Pro'cy-on lo'tor and related species. 



lar, regarding its food, is in soaking it in water 

 before eating it. 



Excepting the cacomistle or "civet cat" of 

 the Southwest, this is the only animal in the 



Photo, and copyright, 1902, by W. L. Underwood. 

 THE RACCOON. 



United States which has black and gray rings 

 around its tail. A live " 'Coon " makes one of the 

 most satisfactory carnivorous pets that a boy 

 can keep in confinement. 



The Cacomistle, "Civet Cat," or Bassarisk 1 

 is a strange little creature like a small pine mar- 

 ten with a long, bushy tail, and many common 

 names. It is spread over so wide an area of our 

 country that its personality should be better 

 known. It inhabits Mexico and the southwest- 

 ern United States from Texas to California and 

 north to southern Oregon. These are the names 

 by which it is called and miscalled: in Mexico, 

 Cacomiz'tli, or in English Ca-co-mis'tle; in Texas, 

 Texas Civet Cat, and Cat Squirrel ; in California, 

 Mountain Cat and Ring-Tailed Cat ; in Arkansas, 

 Raccoon Fox ; by various scientific authors from 

 Audubon to Allen, Civet Cat, Ring-Tailed Bassa- 

 ris, and Northern Civet Cat. 



Now, as to the facts regarding this pretty 



little creature, it is not a "cat" of any kind. 



and there is about it not a trace of "civet." 



Dr. Coues proposed Bassarisk as a name that 



1 Bas-sa-ris' cus as-tu'tus and related species. 



