As I was descending the western slope of the highest 
knoll, I saw below me a black and white object moving rather 
quickly over the ground under the trees. I stopped, and it 
did the same, when I at once perceived that it was a Skunk. 
For several minutes it remained motionless, working its head 
about, however, and snuffing 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 succeeding 
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 fore feet, 
making the dirt fly. While thus engaged, it carried its 
beautiful, bushy, black and white tail raised and strongly 
arched lil^e the tail of a cock; but when it moved forward 
its tail was carried straight out behind and nearly or cpite 
horizontal. Its gait was a slow, waddling walk, never the 
pacing motion which I have heard that Skunks usually adopt. 
Its head was carried low with the nose pointing straight 
down, the line of the forehead being, as a rule, nearly 
vertical. I did not once see it find any food, but inferred 
that it was searching either for larvae or turtles’ eggs. 
