THE RACCOON TREE.
The Raccoon Tree.—A permanent installation for Raccoons has been established near the southern end of the Bear Dens, where its inmates will be near their plantigrade relatives. At the foot of the steps leading down from the Rocking Stone, a cedar-tree, forty feet in height, has been enclosed by an elliptical iron fence provided with a sheet-metal overhang which is not negotiable by any Procyon. Inside the fence is a dry yard, a pool of water for all purposes, and the trunk of the tree is surrounded by a rustic shelter house, divided into ten warm and dry compartments. Underneath the house is a clean and smooth wooden floor, on which the food is served.
The smooth, horizontal limbs of a cedar-tree are grateful and comforting to a dozing Raccoon, and the tree is not so high that the animals can climb beyond the visual power of the visitor.