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THE SKUNK. (Mephitis Americanus.) 

 Stinkard. Squash. American Polecat. 



The present species of skunk is said to be peculiar to North 

 America, where it is commonly known by the name of polecat. 

 It is found as far north as Canada, and, according to Mr. R. 

 C. Taylor, it also inhabits the north-eastern extremity of 

 the Alleghany Mountains. 



Its body is about a foot and a half in length, and its large 

 bushy tail is nearly as long. The colour is generally brownish- 

 black, with a large white patch on the back of the head ; but 

 there are many differently coloured varieties, in some of which 

 the broad white bands of the back are very conspicuous. 



The skunk burrows or forms a subterranean habitation among 

 the roots of trees, or in rocky places. It feeds on young hares, 

 rats, mice, and birds : like the European polecat, it also commits 

 great depredations on the domestic poultry. 



" The most remarkable peculiarity of this animal," as Audubon 

 observes, " is its power of squirting for its defence a most 

 nauseously scented fluid, from a receptacle situated under the 

 tail, which it can do to the distance of several yards. It does 

 not, however, for this purpose, sprinkle its tail with the fluid, 

 as some allege, unless when extremely harassed by its enemies. 

 A foreigner who was travelling with me from Louisville to 

 Henderson in Kentucky, spied a beautiful specimen of the 

 skunk, marked with black and pale yellow. My companion 



