74 THE SNOW-WALKERS. 



move every egg, leaving only the empty blood- 

 stained shells to witness against him. The birds, es- 

 pecially the ground-builders, suffer in like manner 

 from his plundering propensities. 



The secretion -upon which he relies for defense, 

 and which is the chief source of his unpopularity, 

 while it affords good reasons against cultivating him 

 as a pet, and mars his attractiveness as game, is by 

 no means the greatest indignity that can be offered 

 to a nose. It is a rank, living smell, and has none of 

 the sickening qualities of disease or putrefaction. 

 Indeed, I think a good smeller will enjoy its ihost re- 

 fined intensity. It approaches the sublime, and 

 * makes the nose tingle. It is tonic and bracing, and, 

 I can readily believe, has rare medicinal qualities. I 

 do not recommend its use as eye-water, though an old 

 farmer assures me it has undoubted virtues when 

 thus applied. Hearing, one night, a disturbance 

 among his hens, he rushed suddenly out to catch the 

 thief, when Sir Mephitis, taken by surprise, and no 

 doubt much annoyed at being interrupted, discharged 

 the vials of his wrath full in the farmer's face, and 

 with such admirable effect, that, for a few moments, 

 he was completely blinded, and powerless to revenge 

 himself upon the rogue, who embraced the opportu- 

 nity to make good his escape ; but he declared that 

 afterwards his eyes felt as if purged by fire, and his 

 sight was much clearer. 



In March that brief summary of a bear, the rac- 

 coon, comes out of his den in the ledges, and leaves 



