SKUNKS. 77 



Owing to its fearless and unsuspicious nature, the North- American skunk may 

 be taken in almost any kind of trap ; and these animals are often a considerable 

 annoyance to the trapper owing to their habit of frequently entering the snares 

 set for more valuable quarry. The skunk, observes Dr. Merriam, is slow in 

 movement and deliberate in action, and does not often hurry himself in whatever 

 he does. His ordinary gait is a measured walk, but when pressed for time he 

 breaks into a slow, shuffling gallop. It is hard to intimidate a skunk, but when 

 once really frightened he manages to get over the ground at a very fair pace. 



The same writer further observes that in the Adirondack region skunks 

 remain active during the greater part of the year, and hibernate only during the 

 severest part of the winter. " They differ from most of our hibernating mammals 

 in that the inactive period is, apparently, dependent solely upon the temperature. 

 That the amount of snow has no influence upon their movements is evident from 

 the fact that they are frequently out, in numbers, when its average depth exceeds 

 five feet on the level. Neither can it be a difference in food-supply that affects them, 

 for at this season they subsist almost entirely upon mice and shrews, and I have 

 repeatedly noticed these little beasts scampering about on the crisp snow when the 

 thermometer indicated a temperature below 20 F." In the more southern 

 districts of North America skunks doubtless remain active throughout the year, 

 and the same is probably the case with those inhabiting Central and South 

 America. 



The nests of these animals are formed either in holes in the ground, in hollow 

 trunks of trees, or among rocks ; and in the North- American species the number in 

 a litter is usually from six to ten. The young are born in the spring, and generally 

 remain with their parents as inhabitants of the same hole till the following spring, 

 when they have to make way for a fresh family. Dr. Merriam states that if a 

 trap be set at the entrance of one of these holes the whole family may commonly 

 be captured, at the rate of one per night. Surprising as it may at first sight 

 appear, the common skunk, especially when captured young, is said to make a 

 pretty and agreeable pet, gentle in manners, and cleanly in habits ; while the 

 beauty of its fur makes its personal appearance highly attractive. Moreover, the 

 flesh of these animals is said to be white, delicate, and highly palatable. 



The secretion that has given the skunk such an ill name is contained in a 

 pair of glands situated beneath the tail, and can be ejected at the will of the 

 animal ; such ejection taking place only when the creature is attacked or irritated. 

 So forcibly can the fluid (which is of an amber colour) be ejected, that it will 

 carry from a distance of 13 feet to a little over 16 feet. It appears that there 

 is a marked difference in the intensity of the odour of the secretion in different 

 individuals of the common skunk, which is probably in part due to the age of the 

 animal, and in part to the length of time which has elapsed since the preceding 

 discharge took place. When freshly ejected, the fumes from the secretion are 

 pungent and acrid in the extreme, and are probably capable of producing extensive 

 swelling of the respiratory passages. Dr. Merriam states that " when inhaled 

 without the admixture of a large amount of atmospheric air the unhappy vic.tim 

 loses consciousness and breathes stertorously, the temperature falls, and the pulse 

 slackens, and if the inhalation were prolonged the results would doubtless prove 



