Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-09-25
This and That
By Charles Z. Trdce1Uell.


Dear Sir:
IT follow your column for information on
BIRDS but see you are away of on raccoon
habits.
I'm your column few days ago you said the
raccoon washed all its food
LAS an old coon hunter, must say you are
away of on that statement.
"The muSkrat does that, but the raccoon
goes far afied for corn berries, ETC., miles away
from water.
Il can show the remains Of some sugar corn
where a coon helped himself only 80 yards from
spring. without washing a grain of corn.
And I've seen the same hundreds of times
during my TO years.
Advise you to keep to your birds.
Sincerely, P. F. S."
The raccoons habit of washing his food,
especially flesh, Is too well known to argue
about
If our correspondent will get Volume IS of
the 14th edition Of the Encyclopaedia Britain
MICA, page 865, he will read
THE raccoon has a curious habit of washing
its food in water before eating it,
And If he will turn to volume % Of the
1887 edition Of the Encyclopedias Americana,
page lot. he will read:
1.-THE members Of the typical genus Procyon
possess six incisors, two canines eight premolars
and four molars In each jaw, and the group is
well exemplihed in the common raccoon
(Procyon lotor) which derives its specific name
of lotor, "a washer from its habit OF washing
its prey before eating it, or of holding the food
in the fore paws and shaking it violently back
ward and forward in the water so as to moisten
and saturate it as thoroughly as possible.
X
1.-THE German name of Vascular or wash
ing bear Is also applied because Of this curious
habit"
to wash his food, for any of number of
reasons, he does not do so, that is all.
Human beings can understand this, and grant
the animal the right of choice in the matter.
Some finicky people insist on washing all
their apples, but If, now and then, they happen
to be where water is not handy, they eat their
apples just the same
So 1t is with the raccoon.
The animal probably senses that it is meat,
rather than corn, which needs the most wash
ing.
Some authorities declare that the coon will
not even eat meat which is washed by human,
but will insist on washing 1t for himself.
'I thought you would be interested to know, "
writes r. G. A., that during the recent hot spell
of weather most definitely did see the cardinal
battle.
mo such grand splashing and thrashilg
around in the water as the robin and the
startling do, but just very dainty dip in the
bath with just very dainty spiashing or
rather huttering of the wings, and out he
hops, only to repeat the performance six times.
with fall and winter coming on, please let
all the friends of the sparrows know that they
love uncooked hominy grits.
Il keep box sitting on the back porch all
the year around and throw them a handful
once a day In summer and twice day or more
in winter
n ~ 4
The way our cardinal prefers to battle is In
an evergreen through which the fine spray from
the hose is dripping down.
Place the nozzle so it strikes the top Of the
evergreen.
Then 60 In the house, and wait for the
cardinals to arrive.
If you are fortunate, you may see what We
saw once, q dozen male and as many female
cardinals, perched In the evergreen, calmly
huttering their wings IN the spray.