22 



of April, 1856, we found a skunk in the Rideau canal, which apparently 

 had been drowned in attempting to swim across ; and a few days later 

 another was shot by Mr. Lett, of Ottawa. We have the skulls of both." 

 I have been told that the " Thousand Islands " in the River St. Law- 

 rence, is an actual paradise for skunks. 



Not being possessed of the agility of the fox, the weasel, the mink 

 or the martin, the Skunk is not capable of doing much damage to game 

 birds. It, however, reduces the number of those birds materially by 

 the destruction of their eggs, which constitute one of its staple articles 

 of food. But for this natural propensity, his comparatively trifling sin, 

 robbing henroosts, is scarcely an indictment of sufficient gravity to 

 warrant capital punishment, much less wanton and inhuman extermi* 

 nation. Humanity in the treatment of animals is closely allied to 

 chai'ity towards our fellow man. To use the beautiful and expressive 

 language of the poet Cowper : 



"I would not enter on my list of friends, 



(Though graced with polished manners and fine sense, 



Yet wanting sensibility) the man 



Who needlessly sets^foot upon a worm. 



An inadvertent step may crush the snail 



That crawls at evening in the public path ; 



But he that has humanity, foiewarned. 



Will tread aside, and let the reptile live." 



Although one of the weakest and most insignificant of animals, 

 the Skunk has been armed by nature with a means of defence as irre- 

 sistible as it is often unexpected by an enemy attacking him with 

 nature's weapons only. His appearance is innocent ; his aspect is 

 interesting and elegant, so much so that the stranger who is unac- 

 quainted with his nature and his habits is surprised by the realities 

 surrounding a first antagonistic introduction to this gentle-looking child 

 of the forest. 



It has long been known that the oil from the fat of the Skunk is a 

 valuable remedy for rheumatism, and upon consulting scientific authori- 

 ties I have found that the fetid matter of this animal has long been 



