Frs., 1912. MammMats oF ILLinois AND Wisconsin — Cory. 301 
hole in the ground.* Robert Kennicott says it “chooses its retreat 
in the cavity of a standing tree. Almost as arboreal as a squirrel, it 
not only climbs trees and leaps from bough to bough, but pursues its 
prey among the branches, capturing even the nimble gray-squirrel. 
The leaps of the fisher are often astonishing, as it has been known to 
spring to the ground from the height of 40 feet”’ (J. ¢., p. 242). 
The young number from 1 to 5 and are generally born early in May. 
Family PROCYONID. Raccoons. 
With the exception of a single oriental genus{ the members of this 
family are confined to the New World. All are of medium size. In 
some ways they resemble the Bears and at one time were included in 
the same family. They are plantigrade animals, practically omniv- 
orous, and are at home both in trees and on the ground. The well 
known Coatis, or Coati Mundis of Tropical America, belong to the 
family, as well as the curious Crab-eating Raccoon found in South 
America. 
These animals have two tuberculate molars on each side of both 
jaws and the carnassial teeth differ somewhat from the usual type, 
being broad with several sharp points on the crowns. Other characters 
for the family are audital bulla somewhat flattened and undivided; 
no alisphenoid canal in American species; condyloid and postglenoid 
foramina are present; the kidneys are simple and a cecum is appar- 
ently absent; the os penis is long, the terminal portion being curved 
sharply upward. 
Two genera and seven species and subspecies are found in the 
United States, but only one occurs within our limits. In our species 
the round bushy tail is marked with distinct dark rings (annulated) and 
the teeth are 40 in number. 
Subfamily PROCYONIN/. 
Genus PROCYON Storr. 
Procyon Storr, Prodr. Meth. Mamm., 1780, p. 35. Type Ursus lotor 
Linn. 
Head broad; muzzle pointed; tail bushy, cylindrical and annulated; 
ears erect and comparatively short; toes five, on all feet; soles of-feet 
*Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XXVIII, 1905, p. 709. oh et 
t Some authorities also include the Bear-like genus Aeluropus in this family. 
