_88 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS 



henroost to supply her pressing needs. Once 

 the habit is formed it is probable that, like 

 most bad habits, it is seldom broken. Finding 

 an abundance of food and slight resistance in 

 the henroost, the skunk will return again and 

 again. After observing so many individual 

 animals during so long a time, it became ap- 

 parent to the Naturalist that mice and insects 

 furnish the natural and preferred food, and 

 that the poultry-killing habit is an acquired 

 one. As the animals often live together in con- 

 siderable numbers, it is easy for one to acquire 

 the habit from another, until, in a restricted 

 locality, all, or nearly all, may kill poultry 

 whenever opportunity presents itself. One 

 winter a large load of corncobs was thrown 

 into the woodshed to be used as fuel. As there 

 was an occasional kernel of grain still clinging 

 to the cobs, rats soon found that the big pile 

 would furnish both a convenient shelter and a 

 food supply. The Naturalist did not permit 

 a cat to remain on the place for fear of fright- 

 ening some of the numerous wild creatures 

 which made their homes with him, but the rats 

 were so annoying that he borrowed a cat which 

 had an enviable reputation as a ratter. The 

 cat was confined in the woodshed for several 



