THE MUSEUM. 



oj5 



the pile of calumny already heaped 

 upon this much abused animal, but to 

 say a few words in its defense. 



The Mephitinai is a small group 

 possessing three genera in the ascend- 

 ing order, Spilogalc, Mephitis and 

 Concpatus. In general the ground 

 color of all is black or blackish; and in 

 all the genera, though sometimes 

 nearly obsolete, is a narrow white 

 stripe, reaching to the nape and there 

 widening into an area more or less 

 pronounced. 



The skunk being a hibernating ani- 

 mal, retires to his burrow about De- 

 cember ist in the Northern States, 

 and remains underground until about 

 the middle of February. He lays up 

 no winter store, and like the bear and 

 raccoon is very fat on retiring to his 

 winter quarters, and does not seem re- 

 duced in flesh at his first appearance 

 toward spring. He is not a sound 

 sleeper during his period of retirement, 

 and it needs some care to keep out of 

 his way, if an atttempt is made to sur- 

 prise him. The burrows of the skunk 

 are far less difficult to dig out than 

 those of the fox. They are generally 

 found on a flat surface, while the den 

 of a fox is generally made on the slope 

 of a hill. They have seldom more 

 than one entrance, while those of a 

 fox have from two to three. The bur- 

 rows are about two feet below the sur- 

 face of the ground, and extend seven 

 or eight feet in a nearly horizontal di- 

 rection, terminating in an excavation 

 containing an immense nest of leaves. 

 Here during winter may be found from 

 five to fifteen individuals of this spe- 

 cies, ready to use if necessary, the 

 only means of defense with which Na- 

 ture has provided them. 



The most striking characteristic in 



habit, of the Mephitinae is that one 

 which gives the family its maladorous 

 reputation, and in describing that 

 characteristic we will select for our 

 purpose the typical one in this group 

 — Mephitis mcphitica, the common 

 American skunk. 



In the human species we sometimes 

 find that a particular faculty has re- 

 ceived an extraordinary development, 

 the result of constant attention to one 

 subject, and it is the same when ap- 

 plied to any particular organ or mem- 

 ber of the body, which by constant 

 use I (like the organs of touch in the 

 blind) become so important as to serve 

 as a substitute for others. In the low- 

 er animals this prominence is the re- 

 sult of its peculiar formation, or of in- 

 stinct. Thus the power of the kan- 

 garoo is concentrated in its enormous, 

 hind feet, which not only enable him 

 to make the extraordinary leaps by 

 which he can escape from his pursuers, 

 but which form a terrible means of de- 

 fense; the rattlesnake's deadly power 

 is conveyed through its fangs, and the 

 bee has the means of a lively defense 

 in its sting, while in every other power 

 of attack or defense these various, 

 creatures are comparatively feeble. 



The skunk, although armed with 

 claws and teeth sharp enough to cap- 

 ture and tear his prey, is slow on foot 

 (except when pursued), apparently- 

 timid, and would be utterly at the 

 mercy of his numerous enemies were 

 it not for the peculiar power which- 

 Nature has given him, ennbling him to 

 defy his four-footed enemies, and often 

 causing even the bravest of our boast- 

 ing race to beat a hasty retreat. 



I have never felt that aversion to> 

 the musky odor imparted by the 

 skunk that others evince, although I 



