RACCOON. 
421 
bushy, and is annulated with black. The back 
is somewhat arched ; and the fore legs are shorter 
than the others. The length of the raccoon is 
about two feet, from the nose to the tail ; and the 
tail is about a foot long. 
Its food consists principally of maize, sugar- 
canes, and various sorts of fruits. It is also sup- 
posed to devour birds, and their eggs. When near 
the shores, the raccoons live much on shell-fish, 
and particularly on oysters. We are told, that 
they will watch the opening of the shell, dexterous- 
ly put in their paw, and tear out the contents ; 
sometimes, however, the oyster suddenly closes, 
catches the thief, and detains him, till he is 
drowned by the return of the tide. They feed 
likewise on crabs ; in the taking of which they 
exhibit much cunning. Brickell, who relates these 
circumstances, says, that the raccoon w 7 ill stand 
on the side of a swamp, and hang its tail over into 
the water ; which the crabs, mistaking for food, 
lay bold of; and as soon as the beast feels them 
pinch, he pulls them out with a sudden jerk. He 
then takes them to a little distance from the water's 
edge ; and, in devouring them, is careful to get 
them cross- ways in his mouth, lest he should suffer 
from their nippers. A species of land crab, found 
in holes of the sand in North Carolina, are fre- 
quently the food of the raccoon. He takes them 
by putting one of his fore paws into the ground, 
and hauling them out. These animals feed chiefly 
by night ; as, except in dull weather, they sleep 
during the greatest part of the day. 
Like the squirrel, it makes use of its paws to 
hold its food while eating, but it differs from the 
monkey kind, which use but one hand on those 
occasions, whereas the raccoon and the squirrel 
me both ; as, wanting the thumb, their paws 
singly ^.re unfit for grasping or holding. Though 
