66 
in the fore foot; the claw of the second reaches to end of third; the 
thumb is shortest. On the hind-foot, the first toe is much shortest ; third 
and fourth, sub-equal and longest; the second and fifth are about equal, 
their claws reaching to the bases of the claws of third and fourth. | 
Two North American species are recognized, ours, and Procyon hernan- 
dezit of Texas, and west to the Pacific. 
PROCYON LoTOR (luinn.) Storr. 
Raccoon; *f Coon.” 
1758. Ursus lotor, Linn., Syst. Nat., i, 1758, 48; 1766, 70.—Schreb., Saug., 
111, 1778, 521.—Hrxl., Syst. Nat., 1777, 165.—Gm., Syst. Nat., i, 
1778, 103.—Harlan, Fn. Amer., 1825, 53. 
1780. Procyon lotor, Storr, Prod. Meth. Anim., 1780.—Desm., Mamm., i, 
1820, 168.—Griff., An. Kined., v, 1827, 114.—Fischer., Syn , 1829, 
147.—Rich., Fn. Bor. Amer., i, 1829, 836.—Doughty’s Cab. N. H., 
li, 1832, 73, pl. 7—De Kay, N. Y. Zool., i, 1842, 26—Aud. & 
Bach., Q. N. A., ii, 1851, 74, pl. 61.—Baird, Mam. N. A., 1857, 
209.—Allen, Bull. M. C. Z., i, 1869, 181; ii, 1871, 170.—Coues ° 
and Yarrow, Expl. and Surv. West 100th Merid., vol. v, 64, 1875. 
1784. Meles lotor, Bodd., Elenchus Animal., 1784, 80. 
Specific Characters—General color grayish-white; the tips of the long 
hairs are black, and impart this color to the back; under fur dark- 
brown. A large, oblique, black patch on the cheek, continuous with a 
paler one beneath the jaw; another behind the ear. Hnd of muzzle, ex- 
cept the upper line, together with the posterior border of the cheek- 
patch whitish. Tailslightly tapering; tip and five rings black; these rings 
as broad as the rusty-white interspaces. Hind feet not exceeding four 
inches; above, dirty-whitish. Fore feet not exceeding above 2? inches. 
Varies in being nearly black, with the markings obscured; sometimes 
more or less yellowish or white, with obsolete markings or none. A de- 
cided tendency to albinism. 
Measurements.—A specimen in the flesh had the following dimensions 
in inches: Nose, to root of tail, 224+ inches; nose to end of outstretched 
legs, 235 inches; nose to eye, 2+; to ear, 44+. Tail, from root to end of 
vertebra, 104; to end of hairs, 124 inches. Ears, height in front, 2}; 
height behind, 24; width, 12. Arms, between claws, across shoulder, 27; 
length of fore-arm, 43; longest claw, 4 inch. Leg, from knee-joint to 
end of claw, 8; hind foot, from heel to end of claws, 4 inches. 
The colors of the exterior are.due to the long, stiff hairs interspersed 
among the basal hair. Along the back these hairs are black at the end, 
and usually elsewhere. Sub-terminally the hairs are broadly whitish; 
then follows a ring of light-brownish, and the base is whitish. The hair 
