HABITS OF THE WHITE-BACKED SKUNK. 259 



from "California". Audubon and Bachman describe the ani- 

 mal from Texas. The only specimen Baird had seen in 1857 

 was also from this State (Llano Estacado), beyond which I am 

 not aware that the animal has been actuall}^ observed north of 

 the Mexican border. I obtained no evidence of its presence in 

 ]S"ew Mexico, Arizona, or Southern California during my resi- 

 dences in those regions, and the species may be confined, in the 

 United States, to the valley of the Lower Rio Grande, like vari- 

 ous other quadrupeds and birds. 



From Audubon's account, it is to be inferred that the animal 

 is not rare in portions of Texas, where the specimen which is 

 figured in his work was procured by his son, John Woodhouse. 

 His notice of its habits is as follows : — 



"The Mephitis mesoleiwa is found on the brown, broomy, 

 sedgy plains, as well as in the woods, and the cultivated dis- 

 tricts of Texas and Mexico. Its food consists in part of grubs, 

 beetles, and other insects, and occasionally a small quadruped 

 or bird, the eggs of birds, and in fact everything that this 

 carnivorous but timid animal can appropriate to its sustenance. 



" The retreats of this Skunk are hollows in the roots of trees 

 or fallen trunks, cavities under rocks, &c. ; and it is like the 

 northern species, easily caught when seen, (if any one has the 

 resolution to venture on the experiment,) as it will not endeavour 

 to escape unless it be very near its hiding place, in which case 

 it will avoid its pursuer by retreating into its burrow, and there 

 remaining for some time motionless, if not annoyed by a dog, or 

 by digging after it. 



"The stomach of the specimen from which our drawing was 

 made, contained a number of worms, in some degree resembling 

 the tape-worm at times found in the human subject. Not- 

 withstanding this circumstance, the individual appeared to be 

 healthy and was fat. The rainy season having set in (or at 

 least the weather being invariably stormy for some time) after 

 it was killed, it became necessary to dry its skin in a chimney. 

 When first taken, the white streak along the back was as pure 

 and free from any stain or tinge of darkness or soiled color as 

 new fallen snow. The two glands containing the fetid matter, 

 discharged from time to time by the animal for its defence, 

 somewhat resembled in appearance a soft egg. 



" This species apparently takes the place of the common 

 American skunk [Mephitis chinga)^ in the vicinity of the ranchos 

 and plantations of the Mexicans, and it is quite as destructive 



