:un 



CAM]iKIA COUNTY. 



MR. PIERSON, Dysart: 



Skunks eat eggs of the ground birds (the kind that are bene- 

 ficial to the farmer, such as Thrush. Catbird and native Spar- 

 row). They have killed a great amount of chickens around 

 here; have lost some myself and set trars and caught them 

 in my hen house. They are injurious. 



JOHN F. THOMAS, Carrolltown: 



While the Skunk devours many insects and other vermin, it 

 is obnoxious to the farmer and sportsman. They are invaria- 

 bly abroad on wet nights, when they may be found prowling 

 about the barn or hen coop, and iiave even been killed in cel- 

 lars of inhabited houses. Their methods of procuring insects 

 manifests much cunning. I have seen them go about a field in 

 the evening overturning all small flat stones in their way, and 

 quickly gather up all the surprised bugs and beetles. It is un- 

 suspecting and may be taken with a steel trap very easily. 



CHESTER COUNTY. 



THOS. B. DARLIlvrGTON, West Chester: 



The Skunk or Polecat is a frequent visitor to the poultry 

 yard, for poultry or eggs, or both, and breaking up setting hens. 



A. SHARPLESS, West Chester: 



The Skunk has been pretty plentiful here in years past. I 

 think it is more beneficial to the farmer than otherwise. True, 

 old ones sometimes destroy young chickens when exposed at 

 night, but their food seems princip.ally to be noxious insects; T 

 long since forbid their destruction on my farm. There will be no 

 danger here of any surplus of these animals, as the value 

 of their pelts is such that trappers will keep their num'bers 

 down. 



HARRY WILSON, Gum Tree: 



In my opinion are one of the most beneficial animals; their 

 principal food as shown by their stomachs and excretions are 

 insects, such as beetles and grasshoppers. I had an illustration 

 of their food habits shown to me a couple of years since. I 

 had been hunting Groundhogs one summer evening and re- 

 turning through a clover field near a woods T saw a small black 



