THE MARTEN FAMILY— ZORILLA. 



175 



neck, near the shoulders, on the outside of the legs, 

 and more rarely on the breast and under portion. 

 The tail either shows two broad, white, longitudinal 

 bands or else is irregularly marked with black and 

 white. 



The Skunk has been known for a long time on 

 account of the reckless manner in which it insults 

 our sense of smell, and nearly all modern travelers 

 continue to refer to it. Its range is rather extensive; 

 the animal being most plentiful near Hudson Bay, 

 from where it spreads southward. Its favorite 

 haunts are the rather elevated portions of country, 

 especially forests and beech-tree woods on river- 

 banks, or rocky regions, in which it takes up its 

 abode in caverns and clefts of the rocks. 



The Skunk is so well aware of its formidable 

 weapon, that it is by no means shy or cowardly. 

 It is slow in its movements ; it can neither 

 jump nor climb, but only walk or hop. Its 

 walk is nearly plantigrade, and it arches its 

 back and carries its tail in a downward direc- 

 tion. From time to time it burrows in the 

 ground or sniffs around for something eata- 

 ble. If one happens to meet it, it quietly 

 stops, lifts its tail, turns around and, if the in- 

 truder comes too near, ejects its noxious fluid. 

 Hensel says that when it is pursued by Dogs, 

 it lays its tail along its back like a sitting 

 Squirrel, turns its hinder quarters towards the 

 Dogs and performs queer, angry, hopping an- 

 tics, such as one sometimes sees in the cages 

 of Bears. The Dogs know their opponent's 

 dangerous weapon and keep at a respectful 

 distance, but few of them having the courage 

 to seize and kill a Skunk. The attacked ani- 

 mal never wastes its secretion by unnecessary 

 haste, but continues to threaten as long as the 

 Dogs are a few yards distant from it. 

 Audubon's Ex- Audubon had a personal experi- 

 perience ence with a Skunk. "This small, 

 with a Skunk, dainty, innocent looking animal," 

 he says, "is capable of putting the greatest 

 braggart to flight with its first shot, so that he 

 will run with cries of misery. I suffered from 

 it myself when I was a school-boy. The sun 

 had just set. I was slowly walking along with 

 a few friends of mine. We perceived a charm- 

 ing little animal, unknown to us ; it stopped 

 and looked at us, as if waiting for us to come 

 up and keep it company, like an old friend. 

 The little thing looked so innocent and tempt- 

 ing and it kept its tail lifted up, as if it invited 

 us to take hold of it and carry it home on our 

 arms. I was quite delighted and put out my 

 hand to take it — and the pretty little beast 

 overwhelmed rne with its diabolical secretion. 

 I had my eyes, nose and mouth full of it and 

 dropped the monster as if I had been struck 

 by lightning." 



South American Skunks do not differ from their 

 North American relatives in the strength of their 

 secretion. 



The Skunk In captivity Skunks do not emit their 

 in a terrible odor, provided one guards care- 



Captiue State. f u n y against irritating them. They get 

 very tame and tolerably well accustomed to their 

 keeper, though they walk backwards in the begin- 

 ning, their tails lifted, and ready for assault. Hay 

 is their favorite bed, for they prepare a perfect bed 

 with it and then curl up on it like a ball. After eat- 

 ing, they wipe their snouts with their fore-paws, being 



very cleanly, and they always keep their fur dainty 

 and dressed. They are fed upon meat, and their 

 favorite food is birds. 



THE ZORILLAS. 



In Africa the place of the Skunks is taken by the 

 Zorillas, which are closely allied to them, but have 

 hairy soles and have teeth more closely resembling 

 those of Weasels. 



The best known species is the Cape Zorilla (Rhab- 

 dogale musteli/ia), which attains a length of fourteen 

 inches, exclusive of the tail which is ten inches long. 

 It extends throughout Africa, reaching into Asia 

 Minor through Suez, and is said to be found even on 

 the Asiatic side of Constantinople. Rocky regions 

 form its favorite haunts, and it lives either in clefts 

 or burrows, which it digs for itself under trees and 



THE SKUNK. This American animal bears the unenviable distinction of 



emitting a fetid secretion which, once smelled, makes all other stenches seem per- 

 fumes. When an enemy approaches, the animal lifts its long, bushy tail, preparatory 

 to emitting its foul secretion ; and when a Skunk is seen in the attitude of the one in 

 the picture one would do well to retreat. {Mephitis various or Mephitis mephitica.) 



bushes. Its habits are thoroughly nocturnal and 

 therefore it is seldom seen. Its food is small mam- 

 mals, especially Mice, small birds and their eggs, 

 amphibia and insects. It is frequently a menace to 

 poultry, effecting an entrance, Marten-like, into farm- 

 yards and slaying the Chickens like a Polecat. 



The Zorilla is not Marten-like in its movements, 

 for it is not agile, and may even be styled lazy. It 

 does not know how to climb and is afraid of water, 

 though it swims fairly well. It uses its abominable 

 weapon exactly like the Skunk, and finds it a very 

 effective means of defense. 



