88 MUSK. 



discharged through this orifice, as the pod is 

 often found not half full, and sometimes even 

 nearly void. The musk itself is in grains, 

 from the size of a small bullet to small shot, 

 of irregular shape, but generally round or 

 oblong, together with more or less in coarse 

 powder. When fresh it is of a dark reddish 

 brown colour ; but when taken out of the 

 pod and kept for any length of time, becomes 

 nearly black. In autumn and winter the 

 grains are firm, hard, and neai'ly dry ; but 

 in summer they become damp and soft, 

 probably from the green food the animals 

 then eat. It is formed with the animal, as 

 the pod of a young one, taken out of the 

 womb, is plainly distinguishable, and indeed 

 is much larger in pioportion than in grown 

 up animals. For two years the contents of 

 the pod remam a soft milky substance, with 

 a disagreeable smell. Wlien it first becomes 

 musk, there is not much more than the 

 eighth of an ounce ; as the animal grows, it 

 increases in quantity ; and in some indivi- 

 duals as much as two ounces are found. An 



