324 COMMON AMERICAN SKUNK. 



emits no unpleasant odour, and the preparation of a specimen is even 

 less unpleasant than stuffing a mink. We have seen several that were 

 crushed in deadfalls, that were in nowise offensive. We had one of 

 their burrows opened to within a foot of the extremity, where the animals 

 were huddled together. Placing ourselves a few yards off, we suffered 

 them successively to come out. As they slowly emerged and were walk- 

 ing off, they were killed with coarse shot aimed at the shoulders. In the 

 course of half an hour, seven, (the number contained in the burrow,) were 

 obtained ; one only was offensive, and we were enabled without incon- 

 venience to prepare six of them for specimens. 



The Skunk does not support a good character among the farmers. He 

 will sometimes fipd his way into the poultry-house, and make some havoc 

 with the setting hens ; he seems to have a peculiar penchant for eggs, 

 and is not very particular whether they have been newly laid, or contain 

 pretty large rudiments of the young chicken ; yet he is so slow and clumsy 

 in his movements, and creates such a commotion in the poultry-house, 

 that he usuallj' sets the watch-dog in motion, and is generally detected 

 in the midst of his depredations ; when, retiring to some corner, he is 

 either seized by the dog, or is made to feel the contents of the farmer's 

 fowling piece. In fact the poultry have far more formidable enemies 

 than the Skunk. The ermine and brown weasel are in this respect rivals 

 with which his awkward powers cannot compare ; and the mink is a 

 more successful prowler. • 



The Skunk is so slow^ in his actions, that it is difficult to discover in 

 what manner he obtains food to enable him always to appear in good 

 condition. In the northern part of New York the gray rabbit frequently 

 retires to the burrow of the fox, Maryland marmot, or Skunk. Many of 

 them remain in these retreats during the day. We have seen the tracks 

 of the Skunk in the snow, on the trail of the gray rabbit, leading to these 

 holes, and have observed tufts of hair and patches of skin scattered in 

 the vicinity, betokening that the timid animal had been destroyed. We 

 on one occasion marked a nest of the ruffed grouse, (T. umbellus,) with 

 the intention of placing the eggs under a common hen a few days before 

 they should hatch, but upon going after them we found they had been 

 eaten, and the feathers of the grouse were lying about the nest. Believ- 

 ing the depredator to have been an ermine, "we placed a box-trap near 

 the spot baited with a bird ; and on the succeeding night caught a 

 Skunk, which we doubt not was the robber. This species also feeds on 

 mice, frogs, and lizards ; and during summer no inconsiderable portion 

 of its food consists of insects, as its excrements usually exhibit the legs 

 and backs of a considerable number of beetles. 



