270 THE BOOK OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 



inhabit districts which vary in climate, their habits are practically 

 identical. The fur in the nine species which have been discovered 

 may be described as long, thick and glossy black, or dark-brown, 

 variegated with stripes and patches of pure white. The Canadian 

 Skunk is about eighteen inches long, exclusive of the bushy tail, and 

 in spite of the abominable acrid liquor which is emitted from the 

 anal glands, the fur is used in commerce, the smell being got rid 

 of as a result of great heat being applied to the skin. 



These animals are largely insectivorous in diet, but mice, 

 rabbits and reptiles are preyed upon, and in Texas there is a 

 species which subsists largely on insects, cacti, fruits and berries. 

 In spite of their offensivenesSj^ Skunks are stated to perform much 

 good in ridding the land of insects, mice, etc., but these beasts, like 

 many other useful creatures, are not always regarded as they 

 should be. 



The young of the Skunk number from six to ten, and these are 

 born in a deep burrow, hollow stump, cave, stone wall, beneath a 

 house or barn and other places. The animal is fearless of mankind, 

 but when taken young may be easily tamed, and is declared to be 

 a desirable pet, being "attractive in appearance, gentle, cleanly, 

 playful, and sometimes really affectionate." 



MARMOTS. — I have seen a company of Prairie Marmots (Fig. 213) 

 holding high revel in an English Park, their burrows being made 

 in the soft loam of a hillside, but they looked strangely out of place, 

 possessing a foreign appearance which contrasted strangely with 

 the native inhabitants, i. e. Rabbits and Red and Fallow Deer, hard 

 by. The Prairie Marmot is a small North American species which 

 inhabits the prairies of that vast continent, but one of the largest 

 kinds is the Hoary Marmot, which is found in the North-West of 

 British North America. 



Still another, the Bobac, lives in Eastern Russia and elsewhere, 

 whilst the Alpine Marmot (Fig. 214) resides upon the higher alti- 

 tudes of the Alps, Pyrenees and Carpathian Mountains. It is twice 

 the size, or more, of the Prairie Marmot, and may be compared to 

 the well-known Rabbit in this respect. 



Marmots have strong claws wherewith to carry out their under- 

 ground burrowings ; they are stoutly built and have short tails. The 

 burrows are ingenious arrangements, consisting of several chambers 

 which are approached by means of narrow tunnels. The food is 

 made up of various kinds of herbage, and when feeding the wary 



