980 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



their pictures. The Skunks watched me setting the trap, then 

 waddled into it without loss of time, and were caught. How- 

 ever, among the revolver-carrying mountain men I could not 

 find any one brave enough to help me in carrying the box full 

 of Skunks over to the place where they were to be photographed. 

 I might have had trouble, but that my wife volunteered, and 

 the process of immortalization was duly carried out next day 

 at close range. More than once the Skunks gave warnings No. i 

 and No. 2, but I apologized by remaining still, and signal No. 3 

 was not hoisted, nor had our pleasant acquaintance any rupture. 



Near Toronto, July 5, 1888, 1 had an interesting adventure 

 with the Ontario species {putida). 



Two men in my employ called my attention to an old 

 Skunk and two well-grown young ones that were walking across 

 a field. I told the men to do as I did, then took a stout board 

 and ran after one of the 'smellers.' He ambled off but, finding 

 me close on him, he faced about and made ready for action. 

 I approached holding the board in front of me. When I was 

 7 or 8 feet away he fired over his own head. I jumped, and the 

 shower reached the spot whereon I had stood. Before he could 

 get another charge ready I rushed at him, pushed his tail down, 

 with the board laid on his back, then, slipping a hand under 

 each end, I caught him by the neck and the tail, and carried 

 him in triumph to a box. The men tried to do the same, but 

 both got badly 'skunked,' especially the one who attacked the 

 mother; she made good her escape, but the other young one 

 was put in a box with his brother. This adventure cost me two 

 suits of clothes. 



These Skunks I gave to Dr. W. Brodie. He kept them in 

 his yard in Toronto, and for some months had no reason to 

 regret it, until one day a neighbour's tom-cat conceived the 

 brilliant but unhappy thought of dining on one of the 'smellers.' 

 The results were many, the cat was temporarily blinded, and 

 the neighbour brought the police, so that ultimately we were 

 compelled to dispense with our Skunks as pets inside the city 

 limits. 



