NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY. 661 
ceful. I noticed no peculiarity in the paws, but the owner 
aii she used them “unlike a cat, more like a squirrel.” The 
head looks more triangular than a cat’s, possibly, from the pointed 
and tufted ears, which are quite peculiar. The expression of the 
creature’s face was so wild and formidable that I actually hes- 
itated to touch her, but found her gentle and caressing, beyond 
even the habit of cats; she seemed more sympathetic and human, 
instead of less so, which surprised me. But the chief beauty 
was in the hair which I found to be very long and silken, with a 
softness such as I have rarely felt in any quadruped, except at a 
very early age. This characteristic attains its greatest perfection 
in the tail, which does not in the least remind one of a cat’s, but 
is as bushy and ornamental as a squirrel’s—broad, and waving 
and graceful. I am not well acquainted with the raccoon, though I 
have seen it alive; but it seems a remarkable and interesting cir- 
cumstance that a hybrid should have a softness and silkiness of 
coat beyond that of either progenitor. 
The owner has had this beautiful animal but a few weeks, and 
had the elder specimen of the same race but a day. He says 
that this one is ordinarily quite gentle and docile; but that, on 
one occasion, being taken up by the tail, she turned upon the ag- 
gressor with a fury far beyond that of a common cat. She also 
never retreats before a dog, and the dog usually retires. She 
feeds on milk and meat, like a cat; but has never yet caught a 
mouse, perhaps for want of opportunity. She is peculiarly noc- 
turnal in her habits ; is quite drowsy by day (which I also noticed) 
but becomes playful at night, and is always found rambling about 
the large shop in which she is confined. 
Mr. Dunbar states that the other specimen of this breed, which 
he previously owned, resembled this one in color and shape, but 
not in the length of hair, having more resemblance in that respect 
to the common cat. It would be exceedingly interesting to com- 
pare the different offspring of this strange union. I was unable to 
ascertain which of the parents—cat or raccoon— was the female; 
nor could I obtain the name of the person in China, Maine, be- 
neath whose roof these singular hybrids were produced. Possibly, 
you may have some correspondent in that locality who could give 
more accurate information. If it were possible to overcome, in 
this case, the ordinary infertility of hybrids, I am confident that 
there would be quite a demand for animals of this breed, for their 
beauty alone. —T. W. Hicernson, Newport, R. 1. 
