harp ones, too,--and with these he kills and eats (whenever he is
lucky enough to get hold of them) rabbits, poultry, birds, mice, frogs,
and lizards. He is very fond of eggs, too; and frequently robs the
farm-yard, and the nests of the ruffed grouse and wild turkey--killing
these birds whenever he can catch them. The killing, however, is not
all upon his side--as the wolf, the horned owl, the wolverene, and the
farmer, in their turn, lull _him_ whenever they can catch him. He is
not by any means a fast runner, and his safety does not lie in his
swiftness of foot. His defensive armour is found in the fetid effluvium
which, by a muscular exertion, he is capable of ejecting upon his
pursuer. This he carries in two small _sacs_ that lie under his tail,
with ducts leading outward about as large as the tube of a goose-quill.
The effluvium itself is caused by a thin fluid, which cannot be seen in
daylight, but at night appears, when ejected, like a double stream of
phosphoric light. He can throw it to the distance of five yards; and,
knowing this, he always waits till the pursuer has fairly got within
range--as the one we have just seen did with Castor and Pollux. The
discharge of this fluid rarely fails to drive off such enemies as
wolves, dogs, and men. Sometimes it occasions sickness and vomiting;
and it is said that there are Indians who have lost their eyesight from
inflammation caused by it. Dogs are frequently swollen and inflamed for
weeks, after having received the discharge of a skunk. In addition to
the disagreeableness of this odour, there is no getting rid of it after
the fluid has once been sprinkled over your garments. Clothes may be
washed and buried for months, but it will still cling to them; and where
a skunk has been, killed, the spot will retain the scent for many months
after, even though deep snow may have been lying upon it.

"`It is only when attacked or angered that the animal sends forth his
offensive fluid; and when killed suddenly, or before he has had time to
"fire it off," nothing of the kind is perceived upon his carcass.

"`The skunk is a burrowing animal, and in cold countries he enters his
hole, and sleeps in a half-torpid state throughout the winter. In warm
climates, however, he continues to prowl about all the year round,
generally at night--as, like most predatory creatures, the night is his
day. In his burrow, which runs several yards underground, he lives, in
company with