74 SECOND BIENNIAL REPORT [W. VA. 



Common Skunk or "Pole Cat," Mephitis mephitis putidw, Cuv. 



Bather abundant in all parts of the State. Found in the farming districts 

 of the lower elevations and more rarely in the forests of our higher mountains. 

 I found one lying dead in a path through the dense spruce woods on the sum- 

 mit of Black mountain in October, 1896. Have trapped them near the head 

 of Williams river in a forest remote from any human habitation. Were 

 abundant in the vicinity of Cranberry Glades in the winter of 1908-9. 



-This is one of our few wild animals that is constantly variable in color, 

 ranging from almost pure white to black. It is usually nocturnal in its 

 activities but may be seen occasionally wandering about in old fields in the 

 evening before darkness has fallen. The young are very pretty little creatures 

 but they soon become unapproachable on account of the disgusting odor 

 which they emit when disturbed. 



This skunk occasionally raids poultry roosts and does some damage also 

 by robbing the nests of ground-dwelling birds. These injuries are more than 

 compensated for, however, by the value of its fur and by its destruction of 

 noxious insects. At some seasons of the year its chief food, in farming 

 districts, consists of white grubs, May beetles, crickets, grasshoppers and other 

 insects that it finds about the surface of the ground. In the summer and 

 fall of 1909 skunks dug out and destroyed innumerable underground nests 

 of one of the common yellow jackets, (Ve&pa vulgarise), in the central and 

 western sections of the State. 



Alleghenian Spotted Skunk, Spilogale putorius Linn. 



Recorded only from the lower parts of the southern and southeastern sec- 

 tions of the State. Thaddeus Surber has taken it at White Sulphur Spring* 

 where he says it is very rare. Alexander Wolf, a fur buyer of Huntington, 

 says he gets a few skins of this species every year, mostly from the valley of 

 the Big Sandy river. 



At Franklin, Pendleton county, spotted skunks have been rather common 

 for several years. 17 skins of this skunk were seen in two stores at Franklin 

 in January, 1910. T. J. Bowman, who lives near that town, caught four 

 in two weeks trapping in the winter of 1909-10. A skin of one of these is 

 in my possession. It is reported by trappers as being found all along the 

 -valley of the South Branch of the Potomac although it is everywhere out- 

 numbered 'by the larger species of skunk. The pelts of the striped- skunks 

 sell in the country stores at about 50 cents each while those of the common 

 skunk are worth several times as much. 



The spotted skunk is but little more than half the size of the more common 

 species. It is rather handsome, being black with spots and broken stripes 

 of white along the back and sides. The bushy tail has a white tip. It has 

 the offensive odor common to skunks, which it is very free to make use of 

 when disturbed. Hunters have told me that when chased by dogs it will some- 

 times climb a straight tree to a height of 50 feet or more. 



This animal commonly goes by the name of "civit cat" which is a misnomer, 

 as that name belongs more oppropriately to the American civit cat, a raccoon 

 like animal that inhabits Mexico and the southeastern part of the United. 

 States. 



Notes on the range of this skunk in West Virginia are desired. 



