6o The Ottawa Naturalist. [Aug. -Sept. 



in its way or stands within thirty feet of the line of fire. It is 

 not, however, the skunk that carries the odor thereafter. To 

 show how sparingly such a defence is resorted to we may relate 

 that the junior writer has on various .occasions trapped skunks 

 and that in no instance did they make use of it. While more 

 than once he actually liberated them and permitted them to 

 run off without even an indication of unpleasantness, which is 

 more than can be said of most mammals. But, kill one, no 

 matter how suddenly, and the scent glands seem to be at once 

 released, causing the yellow fluid to be scattered broadcast, 

 accompanied by that never-to-be-forgotten odor. 



Like the badger and the bear, skunks appear to sleep fairly 

 constantly during the winter months and only emerge from their 

 burrows occasionally; there is seldom a week, however, that 

 they do not show signs of activity, though long journeys are 

 seldom indulged in before March. 



The males do not seem to take any part in the family welfare 

 and on this account are seldom met with, in fact, there is even 

 reason to suspect that they are undesirable visitors near the 

 home and that they might perchance make a meal of a newly 

 born young if opportunity offered, though we have no direct 

 evidence in favor of such a supposition. 



On June 10th, 1912, a family of skunks was located beneath 

 the foundations of an old building and as we wished to study 

 their habits the junior writer set to work in the endeavor to 

 catch them. He commenced operations by placing a shallow 

 tin of bread and milk close to the burrow, to which the skunks 

 proved very partial, and ate readily. It was but a short time 

 before they appeared in his presence, and within ten days they 

 had become sufficiently tame to readily partake of the milk 

 while under observation. Did he get too close however, the 

 mother angrily demonstrated her displeasure, and with hair 

 erect and tail well over her back made short jumps towards him 

 hitting the ground a sounding blow with her fore feet. 



On June 23rd a trap was devised consisting of an apple 

 barrel sunken in the ground, with a collapsible top, this latter 

 being level with the surface and covered sufficiently to look 

 natural. At dark some bread and milk was placed on the opposite 

 side from the burrow, while the trapper waited events close at 

 hand. As was their nightly custom, the young skunks soon 

 appeared, and with that instinctiveness for which all wild 

 mammals are celebrated, made a careful inspection of the trap. 

 They would move carefully a little way on and then back 

 off again, repeating the manoeuvre a number of times, until 

 finally they went round and soon had their noses in the milk. 

 Tt was not long, however, before one, getting a little alarmed, 



