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is short, the nose somewhat projecting, and the snout is rather blun 

 The feet have five toes on each, those upon the fore feet being armed 

 with strong, curved claws indicating the powers of the animal in bur 

 rowing. The coarser hairs on the skin are unusuallj long, beneath 

 which the body is covered v/ith a thick undergrowth of fine, soft glossy 

 fur of great beauty. 



The Skunk belongs to the Mtistelidce, and like the bear, the mar- 

 ten and the otter, ranks among the digitigrades. It is a very slow 

 moving animal. Unless near its hole, when disturbed, it never attempts 

 to make a hurried retreat, but rather stands upon its dignity, with its 

 feet on the ground and its tail to the foe. I may say that the dignity 

 of the Skunk is very generally respected by those who have had any 

 previous acquaintance with its proclivities. 



The anal glands of the Skunk secrete a yellow coloured trans 

 parent fluid, which is intolerably fetid and offensive; notwithstanding 

 which, I have learned that recently a deodorizing method is being tested 

 in France, by means of which it is hoped that the lasting qualities may 

 be preserved, and the noxious chai'acter of the odour so greatly miti- 

 gated as to serve like Musk or Civet as the foundation for perfumes of 

 a most agreeable and pleasant nature. 



When irritated, the Skunk is capable of ejecting this fluid to a 

 distance of six or eight feet, in the form of a fine yellow spray, which 

 spreads and widens in volume after it leaves its source. Such is the 

 diffusive and penetrating potency of this volatile agent that I have 

 known it to be carried by a brisk wind upwards of four hundred feet from 

 the spot where it was discharged, into a field where a herd of cattle 

 was grazing, causing the startled animals to run bellowing in a frenzied 

 state in all directions. The animal which caused this excitement was 

 fast in a steel trap, which I had set some days before for foxes. At 

 the time of the incident, I had never seen a skunk ; although I had 

 had previous personal experience that the Township of Huntly, in the 

 neighborhood of the present Carp Village, had been by no means 

 neglected or forgotten in the topographical distribution of this beautiful 

 little animal. I closely examined the stranger, and became suspicious ; 

 and in order to solve my doubts, I cut down a pole about fifteen feet 

 long and stirred up the unknown. I assure you I was not long left in 



