Rambling amid the woods, even in the neighbourhood of settlements, we
may occasionally come upon a curious little animal, with a
party-coloured coat and bushy tail, and an amiable and gentle
appearance. The creature appears to be in no way timid, and will very
likely await our approach. As we draw near it, however, it is apt to
turn round and erect its bushy tail perpendicularly. Let us beware of
what we are about, for, in a moment, the creature may send over us a
shower of a substance so horribly odious, that not only may we be
blinded and sickened by the effluvium, but our clothes will be made
useless, from the difficulty of getting rid of the odour.
The creature is the skunk, and is about the size of a cat. It possesses
short round ears, black cheeks, and a white stripe extending from the
nose to the back. The upper part of the neck and the whole back are
white, divided by a black line. Below, it is black, as are the legs;
and it has a full tail of coarse black hair, occasionally tipped with
white. Its legs are short, and it does not possess much activity. Its
feet are armed with claws, somewhat like those of the badger.
It appears to use this horrid effluvium--which is generated in glands
near the tail--as a means of defence. All other animals have a due
horror of it. Anything which it touches is tainted: provisions are
destroyed; and clothes, though often washed, will retain the smell for
many weeks. At one time this substance was used for medicinal purposes.
The mode of defence bestowed on the skunk is somewhat similar to that
employed by the cuttle-fish, which emits a dark liquor when pursued.
Those who have once smelt the horribly fetid odour of the skunk will not
easily forget it.