FOXES AND OTHER NEIGHBORS 259 



Northern hillside forests, and I have found the 

 tracks of their hind paws, like the mark of a tiny- 

 shriveled baby's foot, in the spring mud, not over a 

 mile from a populous Berkshire village. 



The 'coon gains immunity from dogs and foxes 

 by his ability to climb trees, and he also gains much 

 food thereby, for he robs birds' nests and probably 

 even captures sleeping birds at perch. In a tree 

 he can be almost as craftily invisible as a weasel 

 in a wall. 



'Coons are of an inquiring turn of mind, and there- 

 fore not hard to catch in a box trap. Once caught, 

 they are easily tamed, at least to a state of acquies- 

 cence, not pining as a fox often does, nor remaining 

 savage and resentful like a wildcat. In captivity 

 you can watch them obeying one of their most 

 curious instincts, which is to wash all meat before 

 eating it. No matter if they see you wash it first, 

 they must perform the operation themselves. 

 They take the meat scrap in their front paws, like 

 a squirrel, and then slosh it back and forth in the 

 water, sometimes till it is white and pulpy. I well 

 remember camping once on the shore of the Lake of 

 the Dismal Swamp and hearing in the still night the 

 faint sound of little swishes in the water not far 

 away, apparently close inshore. In the morning .we 

 investigated the mud beach and found a dozen 

 or more 'coon tracks leading down to arid away 

 from the water's edge. Unfortunately, though 

 there was a bright moon for several nights, the 

 thick mist always lay three feet deep over the face 

 of the lake, and we never got a chance to watch 

 them. 



