80 
RACCOON. 
manner. On giving the animal a jug, one pawwould be inserted in the aper- 
ture, and a hundred twists and turns would be made to join its fellow on 
the outside. 
After devouring as much of the fish as it wished, it placed the paws on 
the remainder and lay down to doze, until hunger returned, watching the 
favourite food, and growling at any animal which happened to pass near it. 
By degrees this propensity to defend its food passed off, and it would al- 
low the dog or fox to partake of it freely. We placed a half-grown fox 
within its reach ; the Raccoon instantly grasped it with its legs and paws 
and commenced a close examination. It thrust its pointed nose in the ear 
of the fox to the very bottom, smelling and snuffing as if determined to 
find out the nature of the animal. During this time it showed no dispo- 
sition to injure the fox. 
The Raccoon can scent an object for some distance with accuracy. We 
suffered ours to go loose on one occasion, when it made directly for some 
small marmots confined in a cage in another room. 
Our pet Raccoon whose habits we are relating evinced a singular pro- 
pensity to listen to things at a distance, however many persons were around 
him, even though he might be at the moment eating a frog, of which food 
he was very fond. He would apparently hear some distant noise, then 
raise his head and continue listening, seeming every moment more ab- 
sorbed ; at last he would suddenly run and hide himself in his burrow. 
This seems to be connected with some instinct of the ammal in his wild 
state, probably whilst sitting on a tree sunning himself, when he is in the 
habit of listening to hear the approach of an enemy, and then hurrying to 
his hole in the tree. 
Enjoying the hospitality of a friend one night at his plantation, the con- 
versation turned on the habits of animals : and in speaking of the Raccoon 
he mentioned that it fed on birds and rabbits generally, but in winter 
robbed the poultry houses. The negroes on his plantation he said kept 
good dogs, and relied on them for hunting the Raccoon. 
Whenever a Raccoon was about to attack the poultry house, the dogs 
scenting him give a shrill cry, which is the signal for his owner to com- 
mence the hunt. He comes out armed with an axe, with a companion or 
two, resolved on a Raccoon hunt. The dog soon gives chase with such 
rapidity, that the Raccoon, hard pressed, takes to a tree. The dog, close 
at his heels, changes his whining cry while running to a shrill short sharp 
bark. If the tree is small or has limbs near the ground so that it can be 
easily ascended, the eager hunters climb up after the “ coon.” He per- 
ceives his danger, endeavours to avoid his pursuers by ascending to the far- 
thest topmost branch, or the extremity of a limb ; but all his efforts are in 
vain, his relentless pursuers shake the limb until he is compelled to let go his 
