Several authors have described this animal under the name of _coati_,
yet I have chosen to adopt the name given to it in England, that it
may not be mistaken for, and confounded with, the real coati, or the
_coati-mondi_, which appears to be nothing more than a variety of that
species.
I had a raccoon (_fig. 95._) alive, and which I kept more than twelve
months; he was about the size of a small badger, his body short and
bulky, his hair long, thick, black at the points, and grey underneath;
his head was like that of a fox, but his ears round and shorter; his
eyes were large, and of a yellowish green, and over them a black band
went across; his snout was sharp, and his nose rather inclined upwards;
his under lip was less prominent than his upper one; he had like the
dog, six incisive and two canine teeth in each jaw; his tail was bushy
but tapering towards the point, marked with alternate black and white
rings from one end to the other, and was at least as long as the body;
his fore legs were much shorter than his hind ones, and each had five
toes armed with strong sharp claws. He used his fore feet to hold his
food while eating, but his toes not being flexible he could not grasp
any thing with one paw, but was obliged to use them both when food was
presented him.
Though the raccoon is short and bulky he is very active; his pointed
claws enable him to climb trees with great facility; he runs up the
trunk with ease, and frolicks to the extremities of the branches in
perfect security. On the ground he rather bounds than runs, and his
motions, though oblique, are always quick and light. He is a native
of the southern parts of America, nor has ever been found upon the
old continent, at least if we may judge from the entire silence of
travellers about him. In the regions of America, he is, however, very
common, particularly in Jamaica, where he resides in the mountains,
from whence he often descends to feed upon the sugar-cane. He is not
met with in Canada, nor in the northern parts of the continent; and yet
he is not afraid of cold. M. Klein reared one at Dantzic; and the one
I had, passed a whole night with his feet in the ice, without being
incommoded.
Every thing which is given him to eat he dips in water, especially
bread, which he will not take out again, unless pressed with hunger
before it is perfectly soaked; but when very hungry he will eat dry
food, and any thing presented to him. He searches about in every
corner, and eats every thing he meets with, whether flesh, dressed
or raw, fish, eggs, live fowls, corn, roots, &c. He likewise devours
insects, is fond of hunting spiders, and when at liberty in a garden,
snails, worms, and beetles are his favorite prey. He is exceedingly
fond of sugar, milk, and other kind of sweet aliments, fruit excepted,
to which, however, he prefers either flesh or fish. He retires to void
his excrements; is a familiar and even fawning animal; mine used to
jump on those he loved, and to frisk and play about them cheerfully; he
was cleanly, always in motion, and seemed to possess much of the nature
of the maki, and some of the qualities of the dog.