RACCOON', or RAcooN, Procyon, a genus of quadrupeds of the bear family, vrskkr, but differing widely from the typical members of that family, in being less perfectly plantigrade, the whole sole of the foot being indeed rested on the ground when the ani mal is still, but being partly raised when it walks, while when running it only touches the ground with the tips-of its toes. and moves in a bounding manner. The dentition also differs from that of hears. there being, for one thing, only six instead of seven molars on each side in the lower jaw. The dentition indicates an aptitude both for ani mal and vegetable food. The general appearance may be described as intermediate between that of a fox and of a bear in miniature. The raccoons are exclusively Ameri can. The common raccoon (P. lotor) is a native of North America. from Canada to the a. of Mexico. It is about the size of a small fox, grayish-brown; the muzzle white. The hair is of two kinds, an under coat soft and wooly, of a uniform gray; and long and rather stiff hairs projecting, through the wool, and alternately marked with black and grayisb-w:hite. The raccoon frequents the sea-shore, and the margin of swamps and rivers. It commits great ravages on fields of Indian corn, plantations of sugar-cane, etc., and is not less destructive to poultry. It feeds much on oysters, particularly in the alluvial coast-lands of Carolina and neighboring regions where the American oyster abounds on the banks of rivers and creeks, and exhibits great dexterity in opening oys ters. It is also very fond of crabs and other crustaceans. It has a curious of dip
ping or washing its food in water, whence its specific name Woe (Lat. washer). When pursued, it often takes refuge in a tree, climbing with great agility, but its destruction is then considered sure, whence the American proverbial reference to a treed 'coon. The fur of the raccoon is used in the manufacture df hats, and is a considerable article of species, the CRAB-EATING RACCOON (P. cancrivorus), the crab-dog of Guiana, is found in all parts of South America e. of the Andes. It is rather larger than the common raccoon, although very similar to it.—Roth species of raccoon display the same love of glittering things which is so remarkable in magpies, jackdaws, and others of the crow family. Mr. Wood mentions in his _Natural 111,story that a common raccoon did its best to get a ring off his finger by hitching one of its crooked claws into the ring, and pulling with all its strength; and a gentleman once resident in Guiana informed the writer of this article that a crab-eating raccoon, which he caught young, and completely tamed, showed such a propensity to steal silver spoons, that he was obliged to send it away into the woods.