250 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



the musquashes were living amicably in swamps which 

 swarmed with bull-frogs. 



Musquash seems to be an Indian corruption of the 

 words musk rat. The animal is about the size of a small 

 rabbit, with a long tail compressed at the sides, and is 

 aquatic in its habits. It makes lodges under the water 

 with the entrance above the surface — at least one entrance, 

 for there are usually several, one or more of which may 

 be under water. They also burrow in the banks of streams 

 and ponds to a great depth. The musquash is capable of 

 being tamed, and shows more affection for its master than 

 most pet rats ; though, as is well known, there are several 

 of the family that are capable of evincing a considerable 

 degree of affection towards those who are kind to them. 

 Those captured in traps should be handled cautiously, as 

 they will bite very sharply. 



Another animal common in some spots where the 

 forest was thin, or on the outskirts, near small open plains, 

 was the North American skunk, Mephitis mephitica. This 

 animal is also about the size of a rabbit. It is notorious 

 for its offensive odour, but I think the off'ensiveness of the 

 smell has been much exaggerated. For instance, I have 

 heard of people being made ill in their houses when the 

 skunk was a quarter of a mile away. This is nonsense. 

 Nor do I believe that the odour could have dangerous 

 effects on the human subject, as is often asserted. As a 

 matter of fact the stench of several of the South American 

 species is far more abominable than that of the North 

 American skunk. It is bad enough, however, especially 

 if the animal is old. If the beastly fluid is squirted on 

 your clothes they must be destroyed, for the odour cannot 

 be got rid of. It is an indescribable stench — a compound 

 of putrid-sore odour with the extreme essence of tom-cat, 

 and of great intensity. There is no doubt but that it 

 often makes people with weak stomachs very ill, but that 

 it is so very offensive to the animal creation at large I 

 strongly doubt. We are told by the professional naturalist 



