VIII THE SKUNK, CALMLY CONSIDERED 2it 
forcibly contracted by the animal, convert the 
capsule, duct, and nipple into a syringe, forcing 
its contents out in a thin spurt or double jet, 
which may reach more than a dozen feet. 
Whether it is possible for the animal to dis- 
charge one barrel of his weapon and reserve 
the other, I do not know, but I should think 
it likely. The liquid is clear yellow in color, and 
somewhat phosphorescent, so as to be faintly vis- 
ible in the dark; it is intensely acid in its chem- 
ical reaction, and virulently acrid toward any 
mucous or tender surface upon which it falls. 
This, together with its extreme volatility and 
offensive odor, makes it almost suffocating when 
inhaled in any considerable amount, and, in ex- 
cess, it may produce unconsciousness (anzsthesia) 
accompanied by difficult breathing and even fatal 
results. The odor has the quality of musk, as, 
indeed, do nearly all animal discharges of this 
nature, whether they come from deer, civets, 
musteline animals, or reptiles; and, when per- 
ceived and calmly considered at a reasonable dis- 
tance, it is by no means unendurable, having a 
pungent and, perhaps, disagreeable, but not an 
unwholesome smell. The nose is pained and 
offended rather than disgusted. The liquid also 
resembles musk in its extraordinary volatility. 
The total discharge is really a very small quan- 
tity, scarcely more than a large drop, —yet it 
will perfume the air for a mile in every direction 
