276 THE LOG OF THE SUN 



stretches and yawns, and with hesitating, rolling 

 gait ambles along, now and then sniffing in the 

 grass and seizing some sluggish grasshopper or 

 cricket. Fearlessness and confidence are what its 

 gait and manner spell. The world is its debtor, 

 and all creatures in its path are left unmolested, 

 only on evidence of good behaviour. Far from 

 need of concealment, its furry coat is striped 

 with a broad band of white, signalling in the 

 dusk or the moonlight, "Give me room to pass 

 and go in peace! Trouble me and beware!" 



Degenerate in muscles and vitality, the skunk 

 must forego all strenuous hunts and trust to craft 

 and sudden springs, or else content himself with 

 the humble fare of insects, helpless young birds, 

 and poor, easily confused mice. The flesh of the 

 skunk is said to be sweet and toothsome, but few 

 creatures there are who dare attempt to add it to 

 their bill of fare ! A great horned owl or a puma 

 in the extremity of starvation, or a vulture in dire 

 stress of hunger, probably no others. 



Far from wilfully provoking an attack, the 

 skunk is usually content to go on his way peace- 

 fully, and when one of these creatures becomes 

 accustomed to the sight of an observer, no more 

 interesting and, indeed, safer object of study can 

 be found. 



Depart once from the conventional mode of 

 greeting a skunk, and instead of hurling a stone 

 in its direction and fleeing, place, if the oppor- 



