Jocelyne Lapointe, ae 13., of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, for her question:

What does a raccoon eat during the suiatner?

This handsome fellow, as everybody knows, if famous for his fastidious table manners. Many people have seen him by a quiet stream, patiently dunking his dinner in the clean water. naturally we assume that the fussy fellow does this to rinse off the dirt. However, scientists are not so sure. They suspect that the raccoon may have other reasons for washing his food.

The raccoon is a born snacker, who rarely sits down to a large meal. Nature gave him a splendid assortment of 40 teeth and he uses them to enjoy a very varied diet. His matching  uppers anti lowers include 12 incisors for biting, four canines for tearing, plus 16 preutolars and eight molars for serious chewing. Basically, he is a carnivore, but the fact that he can eat both meat and vegetables contributes greatly to his survival.

The summer woods offer an almost endless smorgasbord of grasshoppers and other insects, grubs and caterpillars., worms and snails. He loves to splash around in the water, using; his clever little hands to pry clams from under the stones. He cracks them open with his teeth and pokes out the juicy meat with his finders. Soinetives he catches a fish dozing in the shallows. Once in a while he captures a frisky frog.

In the woods, he forages through the bushes and climbs trees in search of insects and grubs, birds and bird and, mice and other smallish rodents. His vegetable snacks include seeds, berries and fallen fruit. lie is an excellent climber. His refuge may be a nest high in the boughs or, when his tummy is full, he may retire to a homey hollow in the roots of a tree.

There is, you would think, an abundance of groceries in the woods all through the summer. This is true. Nevertheless, the raccoon is a born bandit, fascinated by people and people's property. Maybe this is why nature added that burglar's mask to his wistful little furry face. In any case, when possible he helps himself to the farmer's ripe corn and various other grains.

Also when possible, the wicked little rascal steals eggs and even baby chicks. Naturally people who install properly protected chicken runs are not bothered by raccoons, coyotes and other small predators that belong in the wilds.

Obviously there is plenty of food in the woods to fatten the raccoon through the long summer months. If he lives where winters are cold, come fall he retires to his burrow. There he dozes until spring returns, though he does not sink into the deep sleep of hibernation.

Scientists still are somewhat mystified as to why the raccoon mashes some of his food in water. Some suspect that he tries to dilute the strong flavors in worms and other meaty snacks. Some think that his natural food is clams and other mushy items found in the shallows. Perhaps he prefers to eat meaty soup or soupy meat.