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JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 
“hand-stand’’ act. After my last futile photographic effort I stopped 
a moment to examine the shutter and the skunk meantime gained a 
httle distance. I hastened after it and when near enough threw a clod 
of earth which struck the ground within a foot or two of its side. Like 
a flash the skunk threw up its hind legs and half faced about, pivoting 
on its fore legs, and uttered a hissing snarl. The “hand-stand” atti- 
tude, however, was not maintained for more than about half a second, 
the whole performance being but a momentary pause on the part of 
the animal to defend itself. Following closer after a brief interval I 
again startled it, this time by suddenly clapping my hands together 
and hissing. The skunk merely tossed up its rear to an angle of about 
45° and kept on going. 
We had now drawn near the edge of the field and desiring to experi- 
ment further I endeavored to head the skunk back in the direction 
whence it came. In this I succeeded for a time but only after much 
clapping of hands, hissing and various other outbursts on my part. 
In every instance when I got up rather close to the animal, within 8 or 
9 feet to the best of my judgment, and suddenly startled it, it gave the 
“hand-stand” reaction. Altogether in the relatively short time that 
I was occupied with this experiment I induced about a dozen of these 
reactions. A number of times, when I was at a httle greater distance, 
the skunk did not raise its rear so high from the ground; but on several 
occasions, when I suddenly stepped up close, the body was held in a 
perfectly upright position with the head straining toward the horizontal. 
The last performance the skunk made before I let it go was the most 
interesting one, and of longest duration. Despite my efforts to pre- 
vent it the animal had succeeded in working its way nearer and nearer 
to the edge of the field where there was cover and where it evidently 
had a retreat, for it was headed toward this place when it was first 
seen. A number of times this httle beast actually charged me as I 
stepped in front of it while trying to turn it back, but I retreated has- 
tily and it did not press the pursuit. The last time, however, I held 
my ground as the skunk bristled and charged directly at me. When 
within probably 8 or 9 feet of me it stopped abruptly and elevated its 
rear end, standing perfectly balanced on its fore legs for what seemed 
at least a couple of seconds. It did not need to turn this time in order 
to face me; its back was toward me, and its tail drooped shghtly over 
the back as it was waved from side to side in a dehberate but some- 
what jerky fashion. The attitude was so erect that the vent was com- 
pletely exposed to view from where I stood, and was directed upwards. 
