January 1, 1896.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



13 



White skunks are rarely found. All skunks enjoy an 

 unenviable notoriety on account of the noisome fluid they 

 have the power of ejecting when irritated ; and it is 

 doubtless the consciousness of the safety thus enjoyed 

 that emboldens them to walk about in the open in broad 

 daylight, as they may not unfrequently be seen to do on 

 the Argentine pampas. There are, indeed, few animals 

 that will face a skunk ; and although some dogs will " go 

 for " them, they suffer many hours' misery in consequence 

 of their temerity. Indeed, so lasting and disgusting is the 

 odour of the secretion of these animals, that it is by no 

 means an uncommon event for a whole camp to be 

 thrown into disorder at the cry of " Skunk ! " It might 

 naturally be supposed that the skin of an animal 

 producing such an ill-favoured odour would scarcely be 

 suited to the purpose of the furrier ; but if the creature 

 can be killed without discharging its secretion, or be made to 

 discharge it in such a way that it does not touch the fur, 

 the value of the latter is not impaired. And it appears 

 that the secretion cannot be discharged when the animal 

 is raised from the ground. Consequently, one of the best 

 kind of traps for skunks is the so-called " deadfall," in 

 which one huge log is made to fall suddenly upon an 

 underlying one in such a manner that the unfortunate 

 victim is pinned between the two and instantaneously 

 killed. Even, however, in the manufactured state there is 

 a suspicion of an unpleasant odour about skunk-fiu, which 

 detracts considerably from its value. Probably with a 

 view to conceal its real nature, skunk-fm' is, or was, termed 

 by the trade "Alaska sable." The trade in these skins has 

 greatly increased in volume during the last few years, over 

 twelve thousand having being sold by the Hudson Bay 

 Company alone in the year 1891. The price of what is 

 called a black pelt varies fi-om seven to ten or even thirteen 

 shillings ; while such pelts as have broad white stripes 

 fetch fi'om two to seven shillings, the whiter specimens 

 being of stiU less value. Black skins are used in their 

 natural colour, whereas all the striped ones are generally 

 dyed black or brown ; but it seems a pity that these are 

 not made up as they are, since the contrast of the black 

 and white would present a very striking effect. The 

 smaller skunk ( Spilogale putorius i of North America, which 

 differs from other members of the group in its arboreal 

 habits, yields skins of no great commercial value, although 

 from six thousand to thirteen thousand are annually im- 

 ported. These vary in price from sixpence to two-and- 

 threepence each, and are commonly employed as coat- 

 linings. Of still less value are the pelts of the South 

 American skunk (Cow^pntus mapurito), the fur being coarse 

 and harsh. Still, a few thousand skins are annually 

 imported into England, and sell at from a shilling to half- 

 a-crown a-piece. 



Of the other members of the sub-family, the common 

 badger (Meier taxm) is important in that its hair is largely 

 employed in the manufacture of brushes, although it is too 

 coarse to be much used as fur. It is estimated that about 

 four thousand badger-skins are imported yearly into this 

 country alone ; and although we are accustomed to regard 

 the badger as a comparatively rare animal, the fact that 

 over five thousand head were killed in Prussia during the 

 winter of 1885-6 shows that this is by no means the case 

 on the Continent. According to quality and demand, the 

 price of badger-skins fluctuates between one and two 

 shillings each. 



The North American badger {Ta.ri<k(( amerkana), which 

 differs from the true badger in the structure of the 

 skull and teeth, has a finer coat than the latter, and is 

 thus better adapted to the requirements of the furrier. Its 

 general colour is light grizzled yellowish-grey, with longer 



black hairs, which are white at the tips ; while the sofc 

 under-fur is Light brown, becoming drab near the roots. 

 The pelts are of some value, varying from about six to 

 twenty-two shillings each. In the year 1891, between 

 four and five thousand skins were sold by the Hudson Bay 

 Company, and over five thousand by other traders. 

 Occasionally the fur is dyed dark brown, although more 

 frequently employed in the natural condition. Formerly, 

 the hair was much used for shaving-brushes, but it is 

 generally too soft to make good ones. Like its Old World 

 cousins, the American badger lives in burrows, which in 

 some parts of the country are extremely numerous, and it 

 is endowed with the same fighting powers. 



Those near allies of the badgers, the Indian and African 

 ratels OleltivnraJ, have fur of but little commercial value, 

 although a few skins are imported with those of Asiatic 

 badgers. Another member of the same sub-family is the 

 Cape polecat (Ictotji/.c :or>Ua), whose black-and-white- 

 striped pellage recalls that of the smaller skunks. In spite 

 of the beauty of the fur, but few skins are imported into 

 Europe; the average being only a few hundred yearly, and 

 the price of them varying from fivepence to sevenpence each. 



Much more valuable is the pellage of the wolverene, or 

 glutton {Gulo luscm), which belongs to the same sub-family 

 as the martens, and is one of the few mammals common to 

 the northern parts of both hemispheres. The wolverene is 

 an animal with somewhat the appearance of a small bear, 

 although furnished with a moderately long and bushy 

 tail. The general colour is dark grizzled brown, but a 

 saddle-shaped area on the back is defined by a ring of 

 lighter-coloured hair, and in some examples the whole 

 pellage is very light-coloured. Although somewhat coarse, 

 the long and rich fur of the wolverene has a considerable 

 commercial value, good skins fetching as much as thirty 

 shillings. In 1808 the Hudson Bay Company disposed of 

 eleven hundred wolverene pelts, and a little over a thousand 

 in 1891. A number of skins sewn together make a very 

 handsome carriage-rug ; and by the North American 

 Indians and Eskimo, strips of wolverene-fur are employed 

 to trim their garments. When dyed black, the fur is very 

 handsome. 



Scimce Notc0. 



A number of the former students of Professor Bonney's 

 geological classes in the University of Cambridge and at 

 University College, London, having felt a desire to recog- 

 nize the value of his services to geological science, have 

 united in presenting him with his portrait as a mark of 

 their personal esteem and gratitude. The work has been 

 executed by Mr. Trevor Haddon, Slade Scholar and 

 Medallist, and Fellow of the Herkomer School. 



The Society for the Protection of Birds has an excellent 

 scheme for imparting a knowledge of birds and their uses 

 to the public. The Society has provided itself with a most 

 beautiful series of lantern slides, which it is ready to lend 

 to any of its members for the purposes of an illustrated 

 lecture on birds and their protection. The slides are 

 accurate and exceedingly good, no expense having been 

 spared to make them so. 



The analysis of earths from various places in the Lower 

 Congo district proves that the soils there, sandy as well as 

 calcareous, are provided with reserves of phosphoric acid 

 and potash which insure a high fertility. It is regarded 

 as certain that, in the territories where the disappearance 

 of forests has not modified the rainfall, the cultivation of 

 cofi'ee, cocoa, and other economic plants can be carried on 

 for a long time without the use of manure. 



