EETURN TO VANCOUVEK ISLAND. 9 



I have often wondered for what purpose this 

 offensive secretion was given to the skunk. 

 Any book on Natural History will tell you that 

 it is a protection against all enemies. This I do 

 not believe. Why given to the skunk and not to 

 the pine-martin, ermine, or fisher, that live in the 

 same localities, feed in the same robber-fashion, 

 and have exactly the same foes ? It is for other 

 than defensive purposes. 



The skunks are principally confined to America, 

 extending through both halves of the continent, 

 though a few are found in Mexico and Texas. 

 They appear to form a connecting link betwixt 

 the badgers and weazels proper. 



Now let us return to Vancouver Island, and 

 take up the story where I left it, to go mule 

 hunting. 



From amongst the singular group of annelides, 

 found along the coast of Vancouver Island, 

 many of which are new species, and will be found 

 described in the Appendix, I select the most 

 curious : 



Lepidonotus Lordi (Nov. Spc., Baird.). This 

 species is about three inches long, and rather more 

 than one-third of an inch in diameter at the broadest 

 part of the body. It tapers gradually from the 

 head to the tail, which is only two-sixteenths of 



