AN ANIMAL EPICURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18891, 13 December 1924, Page 4 (Supplement)

AN ANIMAL EPICURE.

In America lives a little animal about the size of a small dog or fox, known as the Racoon.

Its fur is brownish grey, with black or brown markings; it has a sharp nose and bushy tail, and, in order that it may climb trees easily, it possesses very strong claws.

Racoons are very cunning, but they can be tamed, and will follow their master like a dog.

Usually they lie in their holes during the daytime, and come out at night in search of food. They feed chiefly on rabbits and squirrels, birds and eggs, frogs, shellfish, insects, roots and nuts; and prove a source of annoyance to farmers owing to their propensity for ripe corn. But perhaps their chief delicacy is oysters, which they open very skilfully, biting off the hinge and serapiug out the meat with their paws. They also like turtles' eggs, and will watch a turtle lay its eggs in the sand, and, as soon as the latter has gone away, the racoon will steal to the spot and eat them. The negroes call these little animals " coons," and just as wo consider foxbunting a sport, they consider " coon" hunting just as exciting. When a "coon" runs up into a tree, they cut it down if they cannot shake the animal off, and, when it falls, a tough battle is waged between the racoon and the dogs for victory.