THAT FAMOUS ESSENCE PEDDLER. IQQ 



men object. I often pause at the very spot, and 

 fancy that ' the scent of the roses ' doth ' hang round 

 it stUl.' " 



•The home of the skunk is usually in some corner 

 of the pasture, or perhaps on the shrubby border of 

 the road sloping toward the streamlet on the meadow. 

 Frequently he accepts a new clearing as a convenient 

 home, and digs a hole for his nest under an old stump. 

 The hole is small, cleanly cut, and is generally 

 without the slightest odor — but that depends. Prob- 

 ably, if a large family — say, from six to nine mem- 

 bers — remains in one domicile all winter, there is an 

 appreciable odor in the vicinity. But it is a mistake 

 to suppose the animal is not cleanly ; the adults are 

 very careful in the employment of their weapon of 

 defense, and they do not use it except when they are 

 in a dilemma. This is my conclusion, based upon 

 considerable observation ; and the fact that I have 

 often met the strange little creature without having 

 experienced any disastrous consequences, inclines me 

 to believe that he is not aggressive. Give him a wide 

 berth, and avoid a surprise or anything like a sudden 

 movement, and he will not put himself on the defen- 

 sive. Dr. Merriam is of the same opinion. He sayG 

 that not one skunk in twenty will smell when caught 

 in a steel trap, and that a person may drag both trap 

 and skunk by the chain without danger if he proceeds 



