326 COMMON AMERICAN SKUNK. 



This animal generally retires to his burrow about December, in the 

 Northern States, and his tracks are not again visible until near the 

 tenth of February. He lays up no winter store ; and like the bear, rac- 

 coon, and Maryland marmot, is very fat on retiring to his winter quarters, 

 and does not seem to be much reduced in flesh at his first appearance 

 toward spring, but is observed to lall off soon afterwards. He is not a 

 sound sleeper on these occasions ; on opening his burrow we found him, 

 although dull and inactive, certainly not asleep, as his black eyes were 

 peering at us from the hole, into which we had made an opening, seem- 

 ing to warn us not to place too much reliance on the hope of finding this 

 striped " weasel asleep." 



In the upper districts of Carolina and Georgia, where the Skunk is 

 occasionally found, he, like the raccoon in the Southern States, does not 

 retire to winter quarters, but continues actively prowling about during the 

 night through the winter months. 



A large Skunk, which had been in the vicinity of our place, near New 

 York, for two or three days, was one morning observed by our gardener 

 in an old barrel with only one head in, which stood upright near our 

 stable. The animal had probably jumped into it from an adjoining pile 

 of logs to devour an egg, as our hens were in the habit of laying about 

 the yard. On being discovered, the Skunk remained quietly at the bottom 

 of the barrel, apparently unable to get out, either by climbing or by leap- 

 ing from the bottom. We killed him by throwing a large stone into the 

 open barrel ; — he did not make the least effort to eject the nauseous fluid 

 with which he was provided. Had he not been discovered, he would no 

 doubt have died of starvation, as he had no means of escaping. At times, 

 especially during the summer season, the Skunk smells so strongly of the 

 fetid fluid contained in his glands, that when one or two hundred yards 

 distant it is easily known that he is in the neighbourhood. 



We doubt not the flesh of the Skunk is well tasted and savoury. We 

 observed it cooked and eaten by the Indians. The meat was white and 

 fat, and they pronounced it better than the opossum, — infinitely superior 

 to the raccoon, (which they called rank meat,) and fully equal to roast 

 pig. We now regret that our squeamishness prevented us from trj-ing it. 



We have seen the young early in May ; there were from five to nine 

 in a litter. 



The fur is rather coarse. It is seldom used by the hatters, and never 

 we think by the furriers ; and from the disagreeable task of preparing 

 the skin, it is not considered an article of commerce. 



