MAMMALS-URSIDAE—PROCYON. 
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PROCYON, Storr. 
Procyon, “Storr, Prod. Meth. Anim. 1780.” 
Gen. Ch. —Body stout; tail moderately long, not prehensile. Muzzle somewhat pointed. 
The genus Procyon belongs, with Nasua , Cercoleptes, &c., to the section of Ursidae, called 
Sub-ursus by Blainville, and distinguished from the true bears by the smaller size, longer tail, 
more pointed muzzle, less number of teeth, &c. Among these Procyon is the only one found 
as yet within the limits of the United States, although it is probable that Nasua , as well as 
Ceicoleptes, extends pretty far north through Mexico. 
The shape of the Baccoon is not dissimilar to that of the badger, although it stands higher 
on the legs. Its head is broad behind, hut tapers rapidly to a point. The ears are short and 
erect. The feet are all five-toed ; the soles naked. In walking, the entire sole is not applied 
to the ground as it is when the animal is standing. 
The dental formula in Procyon , as well as in Nasua, is: incisors canines kk, premolars 
kk , molars — = 40; or one upper true molar on each side less than in Ursus. 
The head of the animals of this genus is broad and depressed, the muzzle pointed to the 
truncate tip. The muffle is naked and quite large, projecting a little forward on the upper 
outline, but without the great development of Nasua. The naked surface above is broader than 
long, and the sub-horizontal nostrils, which, viewed laterally, represent the arc of a circle with 
the convexity downwards, extend behind to the posterior border of the naked muffle. The 
outline of the upper lip is continuous anteriorly, (not at all split;) the distance from the edge 
to the muffle is about equal to the height of the muffle anteriorly, and this space is covered with 
hair. In Nasua the nostrils are seen more on the front of the muffle and reach behind only 
halfway along its sides ; the upper surface of the muffle is twice as long as broad, and extends 
forwards as a cartilaginous snout. 
The whiskers of Procyon are in four principal horizontal series, of five or six bristles in each ; 
there is also a tuft over the eye, one behind the angle of the jaw, and one under the middle of 
the chin. In one specimen of Nasua these bristles appear almost wanting. 
The ears are moderately large, sub-ovate, and rounded above. They are covered with hair, 
except around the meatus. The length above the notch in P. lotor, and in the species gene¬ 
rally, is about equal to the distance from the end of the nose to the eye. 
The tail vertebras are about half the length of the head and body, varying somewhat with 
the species. The tail itself is well covered with hair, and marked alternately with black and 
whitish rings. 
The feet are all five-toed, and have naked soles from the wrist and heel, the skin of which is 
highly papillose, and evidently possesses a high degree of tactile sensibility. There are no 
distinct warts, or raised pads, although narrow deep creases or furrows which traverse the 
under surface in various directions correspond to similar ones in the cats and weasels. The 
claws are about equal in all the feet, considerably curved, not retractile, and moderately sharp. 
The thumb of the fore foot in P. lotor is shortest, the tip of the claw extending as far as the 
end of the outer digit; the third finger is longest, the fourth but little shorter ; the claw of the 
second reaches to the end of the third digit. On the hind foot, in the same species, the inner 
toe is much shortest; the third and fourth nearly equal and longest; the second and fifth nearly 
