36U 



They also catch, it is said, destructive mice in meadows where 

 they hunt for food; but in such places, I have little doubt, they 

 do much injury to small song and insectivorous birds, as they 

 will not hestitate to rob all the nests which they can reach as 

 they slowly and methodically hunt over the ground in the 

 twilight, moonlight and dark. 



VENANGO COUNTY. 



L,. T. WILT, Franklin: 



Skunks are no doubt beneficial as well as injurious. If left 

 alone they will injure no one, except in case of extreme hun- 

 ger or on being molested. Why not rate him among the higher 

 order of mammals, on account of nature endowing him with 

 the faculty as chemist of preserving so fine a weapon of de- 

 fence and in so fine a chemical state of subdivision and in so 

 small a laboratory and capable, with, a very slight effort on his 

 part, to open his laboratory and in an instant perfume so great 

 an amount of atmosphere. 



H. C. DOR WORTH, Oil City; 



I consider Skunks injurious for the reason tliat they will 

 kill poultry and eat eggs. I have been told that the stench 

 from these animals is readily taken up by milk; I know that 

 local dairymen are bothered by these animals. 



Many instances of Weasels and Polecats killing poultry in this 

 county have occurred. I know of a case where a farmer hearing 

 a commotion in his chicken coop went to investigate; he got 

 there in time to see a Weasel killing the eighteenth chicken. 

 James Black, of Black Siding, this county, not long ago lost 

 twenty fine White Brahmas. The Weasel had come up through 

 a. crack in the floor, killed the whole flock and dragged every 

 chicken to the crack. The owner found his twenty chickens in 

 a row along this crack with their heads drawn down through 

 it. The Polecat does not kill as many chickens at one time as 

 a Weasel; one or two usually satisfies his hunger. 



WASHINGTON COUNTY. 



GEORGE MONTGOMERY, Washington: 



The Skunk has been very destructive at times to our poultry, 

 a few years ago one was quartered under the coal house, 

 not more than twenty feet from the kitchen door, and took 

 two dozen full grown hens before we discovered his where- 



