THE RACCOON AND THE OPOSSUM. 
501 
and a half in length. It destroys numbers of small animals. Its 
color varies from cream to dark brown. It is very troublesome 
about the hunters' traps, stealing their bait, but fortunately it is 
rare. The Indians called it " Gwing-gwah-gay," a tough thing. It 
is now unknown south of 42°, though formerly extending to Car- 
olina. 
Raccoons are found all over ISTorth America ; they are about 
the size of the Wolverine, two or three feet in length. We saw 
one not long since, caught in the neighborhood, and living in a 
cage. Their color varies : gray, mixed with black. It has been 
described as having " the limbs of a bear, the body of a badger, 
the head of a fox, the nose of a dog, the tail of a cat, and sharp 
claws, by which it climbs trees like a monkey." It is very par- 
tial to swamps. The flesh, when young, is said to taste like that 
of a pig. He eats not only fowls, but Indian corn, so that the 
farmer has no great partiality for him. The fur is valuable for hats. 
There is. also a sort of Marmot in this State, and quite a com- 
mon animal, too : the Woodchuck, or Ground-hog ; it is a social 
creature, laying up stores of provisions in its burrow. It is about 
twenty inches in length. It is a great enemy to clover, upon which 
it feeds. They are found alike in the forest and upon the farm, 
making deep and long burrows. 
The Muskrat, or Musquash, is an aquatic creature, about eigh- 
teen inches in length ; quite common. 
The Opossum is also found within our limits, in the southern 
counties. It lives in trees, feeding on birds' eggs and fruits. It 
is nocturnal, measures about two feet in length, and is of a gray- 
ish white color. East of the Hudson it is not found. 
The Porcupine is about two and a half feet in length, a gentle, 
