RACCOON

From Agepedia

RACCOON (procyon). This animal is found in most parts of the American continent, though it appears to be more com40* mon to the north than to the south. Its color is grayishbrown, with a dusky line running from the top of the head down the middle of the face, ending below the eyes. The tail is very thickly covered with hair, and is marked by five or six annulations of black, on a yellowishwhite ground. There are, however, several varieties as regards color. The size varies much according to the age and sex. A fullgrown male may be stated to have the body about eighteen to twenty inches long, the head five inches, and the tail about eight inches in length. The female exceeds these dimensions; and, among the skins in the furriers' shops, some are found which much surpass the above measurements. In the wild state, the raccoon is savage and sanguinary, committing great slaughter among both wild and domesticated birds, as he always destroys a great number without consuming any part of them except the head, or the blood which flows from their wounds. The raccoon also will occasionally commit ravages in plantations of sugarcane, or of Indian corn, especially while the latter is in a young state. This animal is a good climber, and, from the form of its claws, is enabled to adhere so firmly to a branch of a tree, that it requires no slight exertion of strength to disengage it. One of the most marked peculiarities of the raccoon, and on which its specific name of lotor, or the washer, is founded, is its habit of plunging its food into water before eating it. It is tamed without much difficulty while young, but is apt to become untractable and dangerous as it grows older. In the domesticated state, it is extremely restless and inquisitive, examining every thing; is extremely fond of sweet things, and will even partake of strong liquors, so as to become intoxicated ; delights in hunting spiders, grasshoppers, snails and worms. Captivity, however, produces considerable changes in the habits of this animal; for, instead, as in a state of nature, of sleeping during the day, and roaming about at night in search of food, it will learn to be active during the day, and to remain quiet at night. When inclined to sleep, it roils itself up into a kind of ball: in this position, it sleeps so profoundly as not to be readily disturbed. The fur is valuable, and forms no inconsiderable article of traffic. Its principal use is in the manufacture of hats. The female has from two to three young at a birth. Her den is usually in some hollow tree, or very secure situation.