322 



UNITED STATES 



defencev It emits a fluid of the most nauseous and 

 intolerable scent that has ever been known. So odi- 

 ous, subtle, and penetrating, is this ilUscented mat- 

 ter, that there is no anrmal which can long endure 

 it, or will venture to approach the skunk, when he 

 is throwing it out. It infects the air to the distance 

 of half a mile all around : and no method has been 

 found to extract the scent out of any object, on which 

 the odious fluid has been thrown. Time and air, 

 after a long period, affords the only complete re- 

 medy. 



By an accurate dissection, which was made by Dr. 

 Mitchell, it has been found, that this ill-scented fluid 

 is entirely distinct from the urine. It is contained in 

 two bags, situated in the posterior parts of the body; 

 and surrounded by the circular muscles in such a 

 manner, that, by their constriction, the fluid is for- 

 ced out with great velocity and violence. The urin- 

 ary organs are totally distinct from these bags. 



The female produces a litter every year ; and they 

 generally amount to five or six in number. 



One of these animals weighed seven pounds and 

 a half.* 



Catamount, This animal, the most dreaded by 

 hunters of any of the inhabitants of the forest, is 

 rarely seen, which is probably the reason why no ac- 

 curate account of it has ever been published, to our 

 knowledge, except what is contained in a letter of 

 Mr. Coliinson^s to M. de Buffon. 



The dimensions of one killed a few years ago, in 



AVUliams's Vermont, p. 20, 



