. The quadrupeds of North America [microform]. Mammals; Rodentia; Mammifères; Rongeurs. 320 COMMON AMKRICAN SKUNK. n This imiiiiiil «;ciuTnlly to his burrow about Dcccmbor, in thf Noillierii States, and liis tracks arc, not aj;ain visible until near tht tenth of Fel)riiary. lie lays up no winter store; and like the bear, rac- coon, and Maryland marmot, is very lat on retiring t(. his winter ciuaricra, and docs not seem to be reduced in flesh at his lirst appcaraiuM^ toward spring,', but is observed to fall oil" soon afterwards. He is not a sound sleeper on theses occasioii
. The quadrupeds of North America [microform]. Mammals; Rodentia; Mammifères; Rongeurs. 320 COMMON AMKRICAN SKUNK. n This imiiiiiil «;ciuTnlly to his burrow about Dcccmbor, in thf Noillierii States, and liis tracks arc, not aj;ain visible until near tht tenth of Fel)riiary. lie lays up no winter store; and like the bear, rac- coon, and Maryland marmot, is very lat on retiring t(. his winter ciuaricra, and docs not seem to be reduced in flesh at his lirst appcaraiuM^ toward spring,', but is observed to fall oil" soon afterwards. He is not a sound sleeper on theses occasioiis; on openiai,' his burrow we found him, although dull and inactive, certainly not asleep, as his black eyes were peering at us from the hole, into which we had made an opciuing, seem- ing to warn us not to place too uuich reliance on the hope of finding this striped "weasel ; In the upper districts of Carolina and Georgia, where the Skunk is (tccasionally found, he, like the raccoon in the Southern States, docs iu)t retire to winter (juarters, but continues actively prowling about during the night through the winter months. A large Skunk, which hail been in the vicinity of our place, near New- York, lor two or three days, was oiu- morning observed by our gardener in an old barrel with only one head in, which stood upright near our stable. Tlic animal had probably jumped into it from an adjoining pile of logs to devour an egg, as our hens were in the habit of laying about the yard. On being discovered, tlu^ Skmdt remaiiu-d (piietly at the bottom of the barrel, appiU-ently unable to get out, cither by clind)ing or by leap- ing from the bottom. \Vc killed him by throwing a, large stone, into the open barrel ;—he did not make the least effort to eject the nauseous fluid with which he was jjrovided. Had he not been discovered, he would no doubt have died of starvation, as he had no means of escaping. At times, especially during the summer season, t\w Skunk smel
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Keywords: ., bookauthorau, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectmammals
