18 



North Staffordshire Naturalists' Field Club : Report of TransaclionSy 



1887-1888. 

 Ragonot, Prof. E. Ij. : Diagnoses of North American Phycitidse and 



Galleridse. 

 Boston Society of Natural History : Transactions, Vol. XXIII, 3-4. 

 Chamberlain, Montague: Systematic Table of Canadian Birds 



W. H. HARRINGTON. 



Ottawa, 15th March, 1889. Librarian. 



THE AMERICAN SKUNK. 



By William Pittman Lett. 



Comparatively speaking, the call of the president for my unex- 

 pected appearance before you this evening, vs^as as sudden and as rapid 

 as the flight of the blue-winged teal coming down the wind at the rate 

 of ninety-five miles an hour. However, like an ardent votary of the 

 double hammerless choke-bore, I have endeavored to exemplify the 

 sportsman's motto — nunquam non paratics. 



I am almost a stranger upon this platform, partly through my own 

 neglect and in some measure on account of my not having sufficient 

 leisure to devote to the valuable and important objects of the Field 

 Naturalists' Club, which I have always considered one of the most use- 

 ful and interesting public organizations in the city of Ottawa. 



I have selected for a few minutes' consideration this evening an 

 animal of great beauty, although of a malodorous character, the habits 

 and peculiarities of which are perhaps as little known, generally speak- 

 ing, as are those of any animal indigenous to this part of Canada. 

 Having said so much, my hearers can readily conclude that I am going 

 to deal with the skunk, a task much more pleasant to perform theoreti- 

 cally than practically. 



The Skunk (Mephitis mephiticaj, is an animal about the size of a 

 large cat, perhaps a little bulkier in body, but not quite so long. Its 

 general colour is brownish black, with white longitudinal stripes 

 on each side of the back, as well as on the head. It has a long bushy 

 tail, white upon the upper and black upon the under surface. The head 



