337 



had been with 30U. Yet, under such circumstances, 

 the Skunk should not be too severely censured; the 

 chances are he would suffer more from the unexpected 

 meeting than you. 



Remember, also, tlie Skunk tiibe should not be per- 

 secuted because you may on one occasion have been 

 unfortunate enough to have gotten a good supply of 

 perfume when "a wooing yc-u would go." 



INTERESTING AND VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS. 



The information on succeeding pages of this paper 

 under the caption, '^What Farmers, Poulterers and 

 Sportsmen Say About Sl;unks," is both interesting 

 and instructive, although it shows a wide difference 

 of opinion as to the go-od or evil which these mam- 

 mals do. 



While it is true that many of these contributors, 

 who have kindly taken the trouble to send their views 

 on the food-habits of Skunks, condemn them, it is a 

 fact wO'rthy of note, in this connection, to observe that 

 no one of these correspondents who has examined the 

 stomachs of any considerable number of Skunks is 

 found denouncing them. According to my experience 

 Skunks, either alive or dead, are very disagreeable to 

 handle, and to this fact, no doubt, must be largely 

 attributed the censure so many persons heap on them. 

 Furthermore, Skunks are most active in the night 

 time and the many good deeds they do about the farm- 

 er's possessions are not nearly so easily seen as are the 

 results of their occasional predatory visits when they 

 kill chickens or suck eggs. 



THE SNEAKING CAT AND CUNNING RAT. 



T am a lover of bii'ds — game, song, insectivoious. and 

 raptorial kinds — and with the exception of a few, en 

 22-11 



