i 
a 
1885.] Psychology. 823 
selves, and cannot be overcome by enactment. But in many 
countries the laws are such as to encourage and increase social 
evils, if not to produce them. 
It is satisfactory to know that nature is necessarily more con- 
servative in this field than in any other, so that pessimism has little 
ground for assurance. The incapable and the feeble in love have 
little part in the increase of the race. The irregular, excessive, 
or abnormal development of the passions have still less chance 
of propagation. e only cause for regret is the apparent ina- 
bility of the best intellect to reproduce itself in any abundance. 
The future of applied science may bring us the remedy for this 
also—Z. D. Cope 3 
TENACITY AND FEROCITY IN THE Raccoon.—Happening lately 
to pass around the shores of a neighboring pond in my rambles, 
I noticed a crowd of boys gazing excitedly at one of their com- 
panions who had mounted a large tree overhanging the water, 
and was “shinning” his way toward the top of it. Inquiry re- 
vealed the cause to be a half-grown raccoon, which had taken up 
its quarters there for the day, seeming much disposed to stay 
where it was, despite the efforts of the youth to dislodge it; and 
he, having exhausted every method of persuasion suggested by 
his fellows, reluctantly descended to the ground, and a bombard- 
ment of stones then began which, though often well directed, did 
not budge young Procyon one inch from his comfortable position, 
One of the spectators then produced a revolver and two rounds 
were fired by the “best shots” in the crowd, six bullets of the 
fourteen taking effect in its,body. Terrible as these wounds were 
afterward found to be, the animal “held the fort” (so to speak) 
with dogged tenacity, its only efforts being confined to clinging 
to its chosen position in a fork of the tree. Seeing this, one of 
the boys started off and in a few minutes returned armed with a 
rifle. The second shot from this struck one of its fore-feet, pass- 
ing directly through the ball of it. This wound, trivial when 
compared with the others, so maddened the poor beast that it 
tried hard to change its position, but its hindquarters being par- 
lyzed it was unable to accomplish that feat, so in sheer despera- 
tion it began to rend the useless member with its teeth, savagely 
tearing it to pieces and dropping them to the ground, Another 
sure-flying bullet now sped on its merciful errand, and, struggling 
fiercely with death, the raccoon relaxed its grasp till one paralyzed 
foot alone sufficed to support its swinging body beyond the eager 
reach of its tormentors. And there it hung on, till in its dying 
efforts to regain the former position, it fell fifty feet to the ground 
with enough life remaining to justify considerable commotion 
among the boys while administering the coup-de-grace, 
This instance brings to mind another which happened during 
the winter of 1879-80. Whilst a scholar at Westtown, Chester 
Ps 
