vni THE SKUNK, CALMLY CONSIDERED 233 



house. " He is a confirmed epicure, and at plun- 

 dering hen-roosts an expert," John Burroughs de- 

 clares with an unction born of bitter experience : 

 "Not the full-grown fowls are his victims, but 

 the youngest, most tender. At night Mother Hen 

 receives under her maternal wings a dozen newly 

 hatched chickens, and with much pride and satis- 

 faction feels them all safely tucked away in her 

 feathers. In the morning she is walking about 

 disconsolately, attended by only two or three. 

 What has happened ? Where are they gone ? 

 That pickpocket, Sir Mephitis, could solve the 

 mystery. Quietly has he approached, under cover 

 of darkness, and, one by one, relieved her of her 

 precious charge. Look closely, and you will see 

 their little yellow legs and beaks or a part of a 

 mangled form lying about on the ground. Or, 

 before the hen has hatched, he may find her out, 

 and, by the same sleight of hand, remove every 



egg." 



This is sad ; but I am inclined to think both Dr. 

 Lord and Mr. Burroughs have let fancy run away 

 with them, and that such delicate knavery is more 

 often to be credited to the artistic touch of the 

 mink or weasel. The skunk is no fool, and may 

 perhaps be cunning enough, but he is too careless 

 and bull-headed to do his work with the neatness 

 and precaution against detection implied in the 

 operations described above. He goes boldly into 

 the roosting flock at night and slashes about him 



