WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY 



with the most abominable and stinking thing that could 

 be found, either' in his or her month, or, still worse, be- 

 daubed all over its body, having apparently enjoyed a 

 good roll in the filth, often sufficiently strong to poison, 

 or nearly so, the whole family. A dead and putrid pole- 

 cat, stoat, or weasel, is almost sure to be thus favoured. 

 The smell arising from some animals when at a great 

 distance may be very agreeable to some persons who are 

 horrified by it in close proximity. This is particularly 

 noticeable with regard to musk, and the persons engaged 

 in obtaining the pod, as it is called, from the musk deer 

 suffer severely during the time they are engaged collect- 

 ing it. 



A singular instance of this nature occurred to a young 

 man in London some years since, when dogs were more 

 plentiful than at present. He had removed from the 

 carcass of a dead civet cat the bag or glands containing 

 the musk, and thinking to turn the perfume to account, 

 after rolling the parts up in paper, placed them in his 

 pocket and went his way. The first dog he met followed 

 him closely, and was soon joined by others, until he was 

 obliged to seek refuge in a public-house. All his kicks 

 and attempts to drive them off failed, and until he pro- 

 cured a long whip he was in danger of being attacked by 

 the mongrel lot that followed him. He and his clothes 

 became so saturated with the odour that for some time 

 he could not venture out in the streets without a whip 

 to keep the dogs off. In the end he was obliged to destroy 

 his clothes, as his friends and family could not remain 

 in his company, the stench was so abominable. Probably 

 the animal from which he obtained the bag was diseased, 

 and the secretion unhealthy or abnormal. It certainly 

 was not agreeable to himself or to any who came in con- 

 tact with him, except, perhaps, the dogs that followed after 



256 



