THE RACCOON. 59 



THE RACCOON, 



IN THE ROYAL MENAGERY, TOWER OF LONDON. 



The raccoon is a native of the New World, and is principally an inhabitant of the northern parts of 

 that continent. It is also found in some of the West India Islands. Its colour is grey ; the face 

 ■white ; the eyes each embedded in a large patch of black, which forms a kind of band across the fore- 

 head, and is crossed by a dusky stripe running down the nose. The visage is shaped like that of a 

 fox, and is sometimes known by the name of the Jamaica rat. The forehead is broad, and the snout 

 sharp ; the eyes are large and greenish ; the ears short and slightly rounded ; and the upper jaw is 

 longer than the lower ; the tail, which is covered with bushy hair, tapers to the end, and is annulated 

 with several black bars ; the body is broad ; the back arched ; the limbs rather short ; and the fore- 

 legs shorter than the hinder. The animal is covered with thick and long hair, which has somewhat of 

 an upright growth. The feet are dusky, and have five toes with very sharp claws. 



The colour of the raccoon, which is generally a dark grey, sometimes varies, and has a fulvous or 

 tawny tinge, especially on the lower parts, and Mr. Pennant mentions a variety entirely of a cream 

 colour. 



The length of the animal is two feet from nose to tail, and the tail about one foot. The food of 

 the raccoon, in its wild state, consists chiefly in maize, which it eats while the ears are tender, as well 

 as sugar-canes, various sorts of fruits, as apples, chestnuts, &c. It is also supposed to devour birds 

 and their eggs, and is, therefore, considered an enemy to poultry. It chiefly feeds by night, and by 

 day keeps in its hole, except in dull weather. In winter, and in very bad weather, it keeps 

 altogether within, and is popularly believed to live, like the bear, by sucking its paws. In 

 the domestic state, it evinces much of the restlessness of the monkey tribe, and is very minute 

 in the examination of everything. It has a kind of oblique gait in walking, can climb and leap 

 with great ease, and is very frequently seen on trees. It is easily tamed, and is frequently kept 

 in houses by the Americans, and will live on bread, milk, fish, eggs, &c. It is particularly delighted 

 with sweets of every kind, and has as great a dislike to acids. In eating, it generally sits on its hind 

 legs, and uses its fore-feet in the manner of hands. It has a way of dipping all manner of dry food 

 that is given to it into water before it eats it, as well as of rolling it between its paws for some time. 

 When it kills birds, it proceeds exactly in the manner of a polecat, first biting off the head, and then 

 sucking out the blood. It drinks but little, and is a very clean animal. It is extremely expert in 

 opening oysters, on which, as well as on crabs and various kinds of shell-fish, it frequently feeds in its 

 wild state. It is, when tamed, extremely active and playful, but is of a capricious disposition, and not 

 easily reconciled when offended. When angry, its voice is like a hoarse bark, and at other times soft 

 and sharp. In its wild state, it generally inhabits the hollows of trees; but, in a domestic state, 

 shews no particular inclination for warmth ; nor is it observed to be desirous of lying on straw or any 

 substance in preference to the bare ground. It sleeps from about midnight till noon, at which 

 time it comes out for food and exercise. According to Linnaeus, the raccoon has a wonderful anti- 

 pathy to hog's bristles, and is much disturbed at the sight of a brush. It produces from two to three 

 young at a birth ; this commonly takes place in the month of May. The fur of the raccoon is used 

 by the hatters, and is considered as next in merit to that of the beaver. 



M. Blanquart des Salines had a raccoon, of which he gave the following particulars to M. Buffon. 

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