CHAPTER III. 
THE RACOON AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS— THE BADGER, THE WOL- 
VERENE, AND THE GLUTTON— THE WEASEL TRIBE— THE SKUNK, 
THE FISHER, MINK, SABLE, WEASEL— DESCRIPTION OF A SABLE 
LINE-THE OTTER AND ITS HABITS. 
There are few parts of North America, in which the Racoon 
(Procyon lotor') has not been found. 
Description . — Head short with fox-like appearance ; ears 
small ; tail long and bushy ; muzzle tapering, projecting con- 
siderably beyond the mouth ; color brownish, with broad black 
patch across the eyes, margined with white ; nocturnal. 
This animal has been quaintly 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 means of which it climbs 
trees like a monkey. This combination may have given rise 
to the expression “ a queer ’coon.” The circumstance which 
has procured for it the name lotor is very remarkable ; it is 
the habit it possesses of plunging its food into water, as if 
for the purpose of soaking or cleansing it. Some naturalists 
have supposed it to be not so liberally supplied with salivary 
glands as most animals, but there is no conclusive proof of 
