vm THE SKUNK, CALMLY CONSIDERED 211 



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 (anaesthesia) 

 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 



