105
Concord, Mass.
1898
May 20 
(No 3)                       
  As I was descending the northern slope of the
highest knoll I saw below on a black & white 
object moving rather quickly over the ground under
the trees. I stopped & it did the same when 
I at once perceived that it was a Skunk. For
several minutes it seemed motionless working
its head about, however, and sniffing the air.
Evidently it did not see but had merely heard
me. Presently its alarm subsided and it began
rambling about looking for food. I was surprised
at the slowness of its movements and the
thoroughness of its search. During the suceeding
half-hour it did not cover a space greater
than three or four rods square but literally
every foot of this area was carefully inspected.
Not content with rooting into every bunch of dead 
leaves it dug dozens of holes first plunging its
sharp nose into the ground and then using its
four feet making the dirt fly. While thus engaged
it carried its beautiful body, black & white tail
raised and strongly arched like the tail of a 
cock but when it moved forward its tail was
carried straight out behind & nearly a quarter
horizontal. Its gait was a slow, waddling walk
never the pacing motion which I have heard that 
Skunks usually adopt. Its heads was carried low
with the nose pointing straight down, the line
of the forehead being, as a rule, nearly vertical.
I did not ever see it find any food, but
inferred that it was searching within for larvae
or turtles' eggs. After I had watched it as