THAT FAMOUS ESSENCE PEDDLER. I65 



gations at close range, would promise at least to be a 

 method of procedure involving no expense in the 

 matter of clothing. At last I found a man who had 

 at different times no less than ten pet skunks — one 

 for each of my ten yards. " Bravo ! " I said ; " Dr. 

 Clinton Hart Merriam has built the bridge. Any 

 man who has had the pluck to tame ten skunks 

 undoubtedly knows the animal better than all the 

 rest of the wise heads put together." And so it 

 proved. 



But before we look at the skunk through the eyes 

 of the scientist, we will steal a glance at him in broad 

 daylight — a somewhat difficult thing to do, as he is 

 nocturnal in his habits, sleeps all day, and is rarely 

 seen before the sun goes dovra. He is about as large 

 as a small cat (I must not be taken too literally, for 

 skunks greatly vary in size). The head is small, the 

 snout pointed — something like that of the European 

 badger — and the long-clawed fore legs, which he uses 

 to dig with, are disproportionately short. In figure he 

 is not a bit graceful, and his walk or hop is decidedly 

 awkward. His coat is black, long-haired, and with 

 little or no white markings in some cases, while in 

 others it is traced over the back with two distinct 

 white stripes, which gradually merge into one at 

 the neck. The crown is usually white, and the fore- 

 head marked with a narrow white stripe. His tail is 



