JULY. 253 



they may often be accidentally touched by birds, &c. before 

 they have been observed. Yet nineteen times out of twenty 

 I should think this artifice would fail to deceive the sharp 

 glance of an insectivorous bird. The manis, armadillo, and 

 hedgehog, when alarmed, roll themselves up into a ball : but 

 in so doing they protect their vulnerable parts, exposing 

 only a surface of sharp spines, or a coat of mail, which 

 effectually secures them from injury. But I do not know 

 that the beetle is a whit better defended from violence, by 

 having its limbs wrapped up, than before. Besides, many 

 other genera, and those fully as subject to attack, are not 

 provided with any such stratagem. On the whole, I can- 

 not but think that the end to be answered by this artifice 

 is unknown to us at present ; but that it is intended for some 

 useful purpose, and that such object is actually accomplished 

 by it, the acknowledged power and wisdom of God forbid 

 me to doubt. 



C. Do you not perceive a strong rank smell ? 



F. Yes : I have smelt it some time : it is the odour of 

 a skunk (Mephitis Americana), a small animal of the weasel 

 tribe. Its colour is black, with a white stripe down each 

 side ; the tail is large and bushy. The fur of this animal 

 is very soft and valuable ; but its powers of defence are so 

 great that it is seldom molested. These consist wholly 

 in the ejection of a peculiar fluid, so intolerably offensive, 

 that neither man nor beast can withstand it. It pervades 

 the whole atmosphere to a great distance around, and where 

 the animal has been killed, the odour continues to be dif- 

 fused for many weeks. I once contracted a greater inti- 

 macy with this creature than I desired : I did not then know 

 its powers. He was rather a pretty fellow to look at, but 

 he did not by any means improve on acquaintance. It was 

 standing but a few feet distant from me, on the other 



