. Familiar life in field and forest; the animals, birds, frogs, and salamanders . om a youngand fat animal. CHAPTER XII. A MISCHIEVOUS Raccoon. A near relative of the bear, and, like him possess-ing a humorous side to his character, abundant in allparts of the country, and constantly getting into mis-chief in his nightly visits to the barnyard and corn-field, the raccoon is one of those interesting wild ani-mals whose appearance brings guns, traps, and dogsinto immediate requisition; and the poor beast,hunted for his life, usually ends with his skin tackedon the barn door and his
. Familiar life in field and forest; the animals, birds, frogs, and salamanders . om a youngand fat animal. CHAPTER XII. A MISCHIEVOUS Raccoon. A near relative of the bear, and, like him possess-ing a humorous side to his character, abundant in allparts of the country, and constantly getting into mis-chief in his nightly visits to the barnyard and corn-field, the raccoon is one of those interesting wild ani-mals whose appearance brings guns, traps, and dogsinto immediate requisition; and the poor beast,hunted for his life, usually ends with his skin tackedon the barn door and his dismembered body in thepot. Alas for the coon ! But he happens to fur-nish a very savory dish for the table, and he is re-puted to rob the henroost; two excellent reasons fordemanding his life—at least so argues the farmer. Now the raccoon {Procyon lotor *) is by no means * The name is significant: it is derived from irpoKvdv (procyon),one who snarls like a dog; the specific lotor, Linnaeus added, be-cause the animal has a habit of dipping its food in water beforeeating. 202. THE LOTOR. He is abroad at all hours of the night,and often on cloudy days. Photographed from life byW. Lyman Underwood. A MISCHIEVOUS NEIGHBOR. 203 an enemy to farming interests ; what he may happento steal in the way of corn and chickens is greatly overbalancedmice and in-stroys. by the number ofsects which he de-His depredationsare therefore insignifi-cant compared withthe havoc he makesamong the homes ofcreatures injurious tothe farm. Beetles, mice,and even rats, he hunts withceaseless activity during all hoursof the night, and it is impossible toestimate the extent of his services in thisdirection. But he is omnivorous, like the bear; he feeds on mice, rats, moles, turtles, toads, frogs, fish, insects, nuts, fruit,* corn, birds and their eggs, and sometimes poultry. He is abroad at all hours of the night, and often on cloudy days. There is no question about the abundance of life * Dr
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