362 On the Skunk. 



Altlioiigli, in self-defence, capable of emitting an odour perhaps 

 the most offensive in nature, yet the skunk is an exceedingly 

 cleanly animal, and although a dozen may be concealed in a sin- 

 gle burrow, yet not the slightest unpleasant smell can be detected 

 at the entrance. The flesh is eaten by the Indians, and pronounced 

 by them superior to that of the raccoon or opossum. 



" The offensive fluid is contained in two small Backs, situated 

 on each side of the roots of the tail, and is ejected through small 

 ducts near the anus. When the skunk is irritated, or finds it 

 necessary to defend himself, he elevates his tail over his back, and, 

 by a strong muscular exertion, ejects it in two thread-like streams 

 in the direction in which the enemy is observed. He appears to 

 take an almost unerring aim, and almost invariably salutes a dog 

 in his face and eyes. He can throw the fluid five yards or more. 

 The notion of the old authors, that this fluid is the urine thrown 

 to a distance by the aid of his long tail, is erroneous. The skunk 

 never permits a drop to touch his fur, and while defending him- 

 self his tail is carefully thrown up over his back. It is only after 

 being worried by dogs that the smell is perceived on the body of 

 the animal, as well as upon his destroyers. If suddenly killed by 

 a shot through a vital part, the skunk has no smell, and may be 

 skinned with less inconvenience to the olfactory organ than would 

 be experienced from skinning a mink or marten." 



The young are produced in the early part of the spring, and 

 from five to nine in a litter. 



This species of skunk is found all over the British possessions, 

 as high as 57*^ north, and ranges south to Kentucky, Carolina, 

 and Alabama. It is rather common in Upper and Lower Canada. 



In the month of April last we found a skunk in the Rideau 

 Canal, which had apparently been drowned in attempting to swim 

 across ; and, a few days after, another was shot by Mr. Lett, of 

 Ottawa. We have the skulls of both. 



Audubon, from whose writings we have gleaned the greater 

 portion of the above, says, that to capture a skunk was one of his 

 first attempts at a collection of natural history, and he thus elo- 

 quently describes the result: — 



" There is no quadruped on the continent of North America the 

 approach of which is more generally detested than that of the 

 skunk; from which we may learn, that although from the great 

 and the strong we have to apprehend danger, the feeble and appa- 

 rently insignificant may have it in their power to annoy almost 



