CHAPTER XII. 



A MISCHIEVOUS NEIGHBOR. 

 The Raccoon. 



A NEAR relative of the bear, and, like him possess- 

 ing a humorous side to his character, abundant in all 

 parts of the country, and constantly getting into mis- 

 chief in his nightly visits to the barnyard and corn- 

 field, the raccoon is one of those interesting wild ani- 

 mals whose appearance brings guns, traps, and dogs 

 into immediate requisition ; and the poor beast, 

 hunted for his life, usually ends with his skin tacked 

 on the barn door and his dismembered body in the 

 pot. Alas for the coon ! But he happens to fur- 

 nish a very savory dish for the table, and he is re- 

 puted to rob the henroost ; two excellent reasons for 

 demanding his life — at least so argues the farmer. 



Now the raccoon {Procyon lotor *) is by no means 



* The name is significant : it is derived from vpoKudv (procyon), 

 one wfio snarls lilie a dog ; the specific lotor, Linnaeus added, be- 

 cause the animal has a habit of dipping its food in water before 

 eating. 



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