676 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



This matter of smell brings us at once to the skunks, a group confined 

 solely to the New World, and with which pages could easily be occupied ; 

 but since we have not the space, we will omit any description of the nature 

 of the most prominent characteristic of these animals and merely say that 

 the odor is destroyed by ammonia. There is, however, one side of the 

 skunk that demands a moment's attention. In 1874 the question was 



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Fig. 519. — Wolverine, or Glutton (Gulo luscus). 



raised, does the bite of the skunk cause hydrophobia ? and many cases 

 were cited .where this disease and death had resulted from the bite of this 

 animal. It is, however, certain that not invariably is the bite of a skunk 

 productive of rabies or an} T other serious affection, while on the other hand 

 it is equally certain that such cases have occurred. To explain this two 

 hypotheses have been advanced ; one that the skunk communicating the 



