336 Fretp Museum or Natura History — Zoétocy, Voi. XI. 
meliceps) has the power of ejecting a fetid liquid like the Skunks. In 
early days in England the so-called sport of Badger-baiting or “‘ Drawing 
the Badger’ was popular. A Badger was placed in a barrel and dogs 
attempted to pull him out. In these contests both dogs and Badger 
were usually badly bitten and often killed. 
The European Badger (Meles) was well known to ancient writers, 
and some of their descriptions of it are curious. Writing in 1607 Edward 
Topsell says,* ‘‘He hath verie sharpe teeth, and is therefore accounted 
a deepe-biting beaste. His back is broad, his legs (as some say) longer 
on the right side than on the left, and therefore he runneth best when he 
getteth to the side of a hill, or a cart-road-away.”’ 
KEY TO THE SKUNKS 
WHICH OCCUR IN ILLINOIS OR WISCONSIN, OR WHICH MAY BE 
LOOKED FOR WITHIN OUR LIMITS. 
GROUP 1. Back usually with two white stripes joining at the shoulder; total length 
more than 21 inches. 
Tail vertebre 9 inches or more in length; tail ending with a blunt brush, end 
entirely black without white pencil; palate ending with even curve, without 
median spine; zygomata widely expanded at posterior end and slanting 
abruptly forward; white stripes of body extending down sides of tail. Occurs 
from northern edge of Illinois northward throughout Wisconsin. 
HupDSONIAN SKUNK, NORTHERN SKUNK. 
Mephitis hudsonica, p. 340. 
Tail vertebra usually less than 9 inches long; tail usually wholly black, the 
white stripes of body generally not extending on the sides; end of tail occa- 
sionally with a white pencil; palate ending with even curve, without median 
spine; zygomata less widely expanded at posterior end than in hudsonica and 
with bend less abrupt. ‘Occurs in Illinois and southern Wisconsin. 
ILuinois SKUNK. Mephitis mephitis avia, p. 344. 
GROUP 2. Back with four broken white stripes; size comparatively small, less than 
21 inches. 
End of tail broadly white; 4 well-marked white stripes on back, the median pair 
narrower than the outer pair. A southern species which is claimed to have 
been taken in southern Illinois. ALLEGHENIAN SPOTTED SKUNK. 
Spilogale putorius, p. 346. 
Tail wholly black or with very little white at the tip; general coloration showing 
much more black than in putorius, the white markings being much smaller 
and more broken. Has not yet been taken within our limits, but occurs in 
Iowa and south-eastern Minnesota and may be found in western Wisconsin. 
PRAIRIE SPOTTED SKUNK. 
Spilogale interrupta, p. 348. 
* Historie of Foure Footed Beastes, London, 1607, p. 34. 
