25 
blows of their powerful beaks and claws destroy it. The 
sexes may be distinguished by a short ruff of soft feathers, 
which invests the neck of the adult male. 
The Common Raccoon {Frocyon lotor). A number of 
these amusing little animals are in a cage nearly opposite the 
condor. They resemble in diet, and in many points of 
structure, the bears, and have been placed by some naturalists 
as a sub-family of the group. They are generally classed, 
however, as a separate family, Procyonidce, of carnivores. 
Their range is almost universal through the United States, 
from the latitude of Massachusetts southward. They are sub- 
ject to considerable variation in color — albinos being not 
uncommon. One specimen in the collection, from Alabama, 
is of an orange-yellow, shading into a deeper hue on those 
parts where the animal is normally black. They are easily 
tamed, and make playful pets. One which became very tame 
in the Garden was noticeable for the dexterity with which 
it made use of its paws — its first act on mounting into any 
person’s lap being to explore all his pockets, bringing to light 
and carefully examining everything which they contained. 
No. 28.— THE SEAL TANK. 
The Seals are a large family of carnivorous mammals, 
living mainly in the water, but at stated periods during the 
year leaving their natural element and remaining for several 
months above the water line. The Society has exhibited 
several species of these interesting animals. 
The Common Seal (JPhoca vitulina) is found in all the seas 
encircling Northern Europe, Asia, and America, rarely being 
found on our coast below Maine. It may be taken as a fair 
type of the Phocidcz, or Earless Seals, of which it is about the 
smallest. Those in the collection are from Nova Scotia, and 
were brought to the Garden when only a few weeks old. 
Like all the Seals, they live on fish, which, in a state of nature, 
they catch for themselves with great address. (For other 
members of the Seal family, see page 37.) 
Along the walk from the Seal Tank to the Eagle Aviary are 
a number of small cages containing birds and small mammals. 
The Muskrat {JFiber zibethicus) of North America, which 
