Four-footed Americans and their kin . ey may leave messages where absent friends canfind them in wood and runways, as House People usewritten words. It is for this purpose that the powerof secreting these odors has been given the fourfoots. This arrangement has given these animals very keennoses, upon which they depend far more than on theireyes for recognizing either friends or enemies. It isthis power that enables every animal to tell whether thebeast who has gone over a trail before him is a friendor a foe, and it also serves as a weapon of defence, forsome of the little Mammals taste so di
Four-footed Americans and their kin . ey may leave messages where absent friends canfind them in wood and runways, as House People usewritten words. It is for this purpose that the powerof secreting these odors has been given the fourfoots. This arrangement has given these animals very keennoses, upon which they depend far more than on theireyes for recognizing either friends or enemies. It isthis power that enables every animal to tell whether thebeast who has gone over a trail before him is a friendor a foe, and it also serves as a weapon of defence, forsome of the little Mammals taste so disagreeably thattheir cannibal brothers do not care to eat them. Youknow that the Skunk is as well able to protect himselffrom his big brothers by his odor as if he had the clawsand paws of a Grizzly Bear. Talkin uv Skunks, heres a fine one, said Nez,coming in with half a dozen little animals in his arms,and holding the Skunk by the tail at arms length. What are those others ? asked Rap, recognizingsome unfamiliar animals in the Common Skunk. NEZ longs menagerie 177 Theres a Mink, a Weasel, and, as luck turns, anOtter. We dont get many of them here, though theyrove about so Im never surprised to see a few. Iveonly found one of their coasts by the upper pond. Coasts ! what do you mean ? asked Rap. Why, Otters are as fond of sliding down hill as youare, and mud makes as good a coast for them as snow,No, Im not jokin, am I, Doctor ? What Nez says is perfectly true. Let me showthat Otter to the boys and I will explain. Nez picked up an animal that must have weighedtwenty pounds, with handsome rich, shaded brown fur,and laid it on the floor by the Doctor. It was abouttwo feet and a half long from its blunt nose to the rootof its stout tapering tail. Its head was catlike, withsmall round ears and bristly mustaches, its legs wereshort and ended in furry, webbed feet with stoutclaws. What lovely soft under-fur, said Rap, parting thelong glossy outer hairs gently with one hand, an
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjecta, booksubjectmammals
