Photo by George Shiras, 3rd 

 THK DANGER SIGNAL P'OR PERSONS TO KEEP AT A DISTANCE: THE SKUNK SPREADS 

 ITS PLUME-EIKE TAIE IN ANTICIPATION OF THE EXPLODING PLASH 



"The second skunk had evidently discovered that every time it pulled on the bait at- 

 tached to the string there followed a dazzling light and a heavy explosion. Not liking this 

 kind of interruption, it always raised the tail, so the battery concealed beneath would be 

 ready for instant use if the occasion required" (see page 789). "Except when defending 

 itself against a recognized aggressor or in a final death struggle, a skunk will seldom use 

 his weapon indiscriminately, even though suffering great pain" (see page 792). 



doned cabin near a trout stream, we were 

 astonished at a fly-rod standing in the 

 corner dropping to the floor, while the 

 reel buzzed vigorously. The owner of 

 this particular rod, desiring to save the 

 fast-disappearing line, placed his foot 

 thereon, and a moment later there arose 

 through the cracks of the shrunken floor 

 a terrific odor of the hooked victim, 

 struggling a few feet below. This oc- 

 curred in the days when it was not con- 

 sidered unsportsmanlike to add an angle- 

 worm to the fly-hook, so when the slack 

 line slipped through the floor the skunk 

 undoubtedly regarded the suspended 

 bait as a small but choice morsel. Cut- 



ting the line did not appease the animal, 

 and until midnight most of us remained 

 outside in a pouring rain, awaiting the 

 smoke of battle to clear away. 



Still another case of eviction took 

 place where the usual method of resent- 

 ment had possibly a more subtle mean- 

 ing. In clearing a lake near the camp of 

 pickerel, in order to replace the same 

 later with black bass, the useful dis- 

 posal of the captured pickerel became a 

 problem. When it was suggested that 

 one or two fish be put in each potato hill 

 as a fertilizer, the idea seemed a good 

 one. On the night following every hill 

 thus selected had been pulled to pieces 



794 



