THE SKUNK. 41 



does. I subsequently determined that the skunk, in this 

 case, reached a depth of four feet and tunneled a distance 

 of nearly twenty It then turned about, and two hours 

 later came to the surface within a few inches of where 

 it entered the ground. When pursued by dogs, however, 

 they do not trust to digging alone, but they endeavor to 

 avoid an encounter by throwing the dog off the scent, 

 and to do this they will pass along the top rail of a fence. 

 If this fails, then their peculiar powers are brought into 

 play. 



I believe that this animal has learned the wisdom of 

 avoiding the use of its peculiar means of defense when 

 other avenues of escape are open, as it seems to know, 

 possibly through " inherited experiences," that this dis- 

 charge, while driving off one enemy, will attract a dozen 

 others. Certainly, it is as much annoyed by the fearful 

 stench as the unfortunate recipient of the discharge, and 

 it must know, if it has any trace of intelligence, that 

 dogs from every quarter will be attracted, not by the 

 sweet savor thereof, but by the fact that the animal that 

 originates this " atmospheric disturbance " is somewhere 

 in the vicinity. 



From a series of observations made in 1872, I am dis- 

 posed to believe that the skunk discharges the defensive 

 glands, when distended, in holes which it digs for the 

 purpose and then covers over. This is a matter of pru- 

 dence, comfort, and cleanliness to them, as it renders 

 them less liable to be persecuted by dogs; and their 

 nests and haunts during the early summer, when they 

 have their offspring to look after, are much less offensive. 

 Indeed, a nest of skunks is no more offensive to me than 

 that of the mink or weasel. Whether the care exhibited 

 by them in keeping their homes clean and comparatively 

 odorless is due to their own dislike of the smell of their 



