V 



1913] The Ottawa Naturalist. 65 



In preparing for her young the female skunk seeks out some 

 hole or covered place, such as that afforded by a barn or old 

 building, where she can make her way beneath the foundation. 

 She then locates a convenient grass patch where the old growth 

 lies thickly and by means of her long claws rakes this up into 

 bunches and drags it to her burrow, always moving backwards, 

 by which means the long claws are used to full advantage. 

 Several nights are occupied over this work and a vast amount 

 of grass taken in before she becomes satisfied. In this nest are 

 born several young, six probably being an average. Here they 

 are reared and remain out of sight for some little time. Later 

 they follow their mother in her wanderings after food, but it is 

 quite late in the season before they finally separate ; indeed, on 

 some occasions they are said to winter in the same burrow. 



Our species seems to be an almost omnivorous feeder, 

 readily devouring anything in the animal line from an evil- 

 smelling bug to a rabbit, while various fruits as w r ell as ordinary- 

 vegetable matter is consumed. Nor must we forget eggs, of 

 which they are very fond. But the choicest titbits of all seem 

 to be insects; grasshoppers are taken wholesale and eaten with 

 the utmost relish. If it were not for their habits of raiding 

 poultry houses and their fondness for eggs it seems probable 

 that skunks w T ould be classed as almost wholly beneficial, but 

 on account of these habits death is unfortunately often a necessitv 

 as it is practically impossible to drive them away. We have 

 known them to take eggs from beneath a brooding hen without 

 disturbing her, and likewise young chickens ; at other times 

 fully grown poultry were killed, but as a rule these are not 

 molested when eggs or young are available. In winter time 

 such food as is eaten must be made up almost wholly of rodents 

 and vegetable substances. We have little evidence under this 

 head, but on one occasion, at this season, a freshly cleaned out 

 home revealed much Horsetail (Equisetum), which suggests 

 that this plant was used for food and that perhaps, like weasels, 

 skunks store up food for future use. 



With reference to the powerful odor for which the animal 

 has become celebrated, much misconception prevails. We are 

 usually led to believe that this scent is carried about as a sort of 

 attraction, not unlike some people's scent bottles, and that a 

 liberal amount is sprinkled over the animal for that purpose, 

 but as a matter of fact nothing is further from the truth, and to 

 meet an odoriferous skunk is as unusual as it is objectionable. 

 In reality they are by no means anxious to part with their 

 perquisite and only do so when closely pursued and when life 

 is endangered. When such emergencies arise, however, thev 

 make full use of this weapon, and woe to the enemy that gets 



