VIN THE SKUNK, CALMLY CONSIDERED 225 
meadow that abounded in grasshoppers. Here 
Meph would fairly revel in his favorite food, and 
it was rich sport to watch his manceuvres. When 
a grasshopper jumped he jumped, and I have seen 
him with as many as three in his mouth, and two 
under his fore paws, at one time! He would eat 
so many that his over-distended little belly actually 
dragged upon the ground, and when so full that 
he could hold no more, would still catch and slay 
them. When so small that he could scarcely tod- 
dle about he never hesitated to tackle the large 
and powerful beetle known as the ‘horned bug,’ 
and got many smart nips for his audacity. But 
he was a courageous little fellow, and it was not 
long before he learned to handle them with im- 
punity, and it was very amusing to see him kill 
one. Ere many weeks he ventured to attack a 
mouse, and the ferocity displayed in its destruc- 
tion was truly astonishing. He devoured the en- 
tire body of his victim, and growled and stamped 
his feet if any one came near before his repast was 
over.” 
This matter of growling and stamping is worth 
a moment’s attention. Few animals are so silent 
as the skunk. Zodlogical works contain no in- 
formation as to its voice, and the essayists rarely 
mention it except by implication. Mr. Burroughs 
says: “The most silent creature known to me, he 
makes no sound, so far as I have observed, save 
a diffuse, impatient noise, like that produced by 
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