304 me. o. v. aplin on the [Mar. 20, 



tongue T always knew he had " stuck up " a " bicho " of some kind, 

 and he always barked until he fetched up his human companions 

 (corning out into the open or mounting a big rock occasionally, 

 either to look for them or to .show where lie was), but not after. 

 This tribute to the good qualities of a great Skunk-slayer may 

 perhaps be excused. But I believe all the dogs in the camp will 

 tackle Skunks — many I know will — and there are lots of dogs 

 which always seem to smell of Skunk more or less strongly. Even 

 a pair of easy-going, good-natured Labrador dogs, whose only 

 delight in life was to swim in the river, I have seen tackle a 

 Skunk and take their dose like their betters. The discharge is 

 certainly very severe — though I never saw any sign of dogs being 

 blinded by it — and makes the best dogs wince, blink, and sneeze. 

 They seem to like to make the Skunk discharge the first shot (for 

 he can fire more than once) while they are as far off as possible ; 

 and for this purpose they make feints at it and bark violently, 

 while the Skunk (if out in the open) menaces them with tail erect 

 and back a little arched, every now and then advancing on the dog 

 with little jumps and beating the ground with its fore feet. The 

 dog, having taken one or more shots, finally rushes in (old hands 

 do not, as a rule, run in at once). I saw " Jim " take a Skunk out 

 of an old ant-hole (the entrance to which he had to enlarge) on 

 one occasion, and get shot in the operation. He then made a rush 

 and jerked the Skunk suddenly out on to the cam]), where it stood 

 in a menacing attitude ; but the old dog walked deliberately up, 

 took the Skunk by the head, and so dragged it about, cracking its 

 skull at his leisure. Dogs are undoubtedly much distressed after 

 killing a Skunk, rubbing their eyes and head in mud or dust, 

 frothing at the mouth, and " snuffling " a good deal ; but all the 

 dogs I came across appeared to be fond of the amusement, and some 

 were desperately keen on it. Late one still autumn afternoon, 

 when the dogs had stuck up a Skunk among some " paja," I actually 

 saw the discharge of the effluvium, like thin white spray or steam. 

 When discharging, the Skunk faces the dog, and erects its tail in 

 an upright position, at a right angle, or a shade less perhaps, 

 with the line of the body ; but does not lay it along the back. 



As for the effect of the smell on the human nose, to be near to 

 and to leeward of a Skunk when it discharges is enough to scent 

 one's clothes for a few days ; and although a slight smell of Skunk in 

 the open air is not unpleasant, yet of the stale smell, whether 

 upon clothes or brought about a house by dogs, one gets terribly 

 sick. What it is to be actually liit by a Skunk, T am glad to say 

 I do not know. 



The statement (often repeated) that it is possible to pick up a 

 Skunk by the tail before it has time to discharge, and that while 

 being swung by the tail the animal cannot discharge, has been 

 laughed at as a joke practised on the credulity of those who 

 believed in it. All I can say is that it is astonishing that any- 

 one with an extended acquaintance with the camp should doubt 

 this fact — but it is only natural that people should laugh at it if 



