fore-legs are shorter than the others; the feet dusky, having five toes with very sharp claws.

The racoon is said to inhabit hollow trees. In Jamaica it comes down from the mountains in such numbers as to make great havoc among the sugar-canes, of which these animals are extremely fond. In one night's incursion they will frequently do incredible mischief. They also eat maize and various sorts of fruits, and partly subsist on birds and their eggs. When near the sea-shore they live much on shell-fish, especially oysters. We are told that they will watch the opening of the shell, and dexterously put in their paw and scoop out the fish. They likewise feed on crabs. Brickell relates that the racoon will stand on the side of a swamp, and drop its tail into the water. The crabs, mistaking it for food, lay hold of it; and the racoon, feeling them pinch, pulls them by a sudden. jerk out of the water. Taking them to a little

distance, he devours them, being careful to lay hold of them in such a manner as not to suffer from their nippers. The racoon preys also upon a kind of land-crab, which is found in North Carolina in holes in the sand, and which he drags with one of his fore-paws from their retreats.

The racoon feeds chiefly by night, sleeping during the greatest part of the day. He is an active, sprightly animal; his extremely sharp claws enable him to climb trees with the greatest facility, and he ventures even to the extremities of the branches. He washes his face with his feet like a cat.

The racoon, when tamed, is good-natured and sportive, but busy and inquisitive as a monkey. It examines every thing with its paws, and uses them as hands to lay hold of whatever is given to it, and to lift food to its mouth. It sits up to eat, and is extremely fond of sweet things, but still more of strong

liquors, with which, when it has an opportunity, it will get completely intoxicated. It has all the cunning of the fox, is very destructive to poultry, and will eat all sorts of grain, fruits, and roots. It delights in hunting spiders, devours all kinds of insects, and when allowed the range of a garden, will eat grasshoppers, snails, and worms. It has a peculiar habit of dipping into water every thing that it intends to eat: indeed it will seldom taste bread until it is well soaked. It is familiar and caressing, and leaps upon those whom it is fond of.

One of these animals, domesticated by a French gentleman, is represented to have shown a strong recollection of ill usage, which he never could be brought to forgive. A servant one day gave him several lashes with a whip, and never afterwards could he effect a reconciliation with the racoon. At the sight of the man, the creature always exhibited

symptoms of rage, and endeavoured to spring at him, uttering the most doleful cries, and refusing even his most favourite food till the object of his aversion quitted the room. He appeared to dislike noise, was always irritated by the crying of children, and would frequently inflict severe punishment on a little dog to which he was much attached when he barked too loud.

THE BLACK BEAR.

THE black or brown bear is a native of almost all the northern countries of Europe and Asia, and is said to be found even in some of the Indian islands, particularly Ceylon. The general appearance of this animal is extremely clumsy; his body thick, with abrupt tail, his legs very strong, his head round, and his neck short. He is covered with long

thick fur, the prevailing colour of which is a blackish brown ; but there is a considerable variety of colour in different individuals of this species, according to the countries which they inhabit. The variety called the American bear, which is spread over the northern parts of the New World, is of smaller size, black, with rusty cheeks and throat.

The bear is a wild, solitary, and ferocious. animal: he fixes his abode in the most unfrequented deserts, and makes his den among the most inaccessible precipices in the mountains. For this purpose he commonly seeks out some natural cavern, or a large hollow tree, which it is not difficult to find in the immense forests of the northern regions. Hither he retires about the end of autumn, when he is generally very fat, and here he remains during the winter, in a state of total inactivity and abstinence from food; not torpid, like some other animals, but subsisting