The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-12-05

! fields, My constant companion In such rambles-the ra-glass-shoWed the creature to be @ skunk, or, as the na- tives call 1t, a polecat, Onward the an lmal came, with it's long white and black tan lying along it's back until it was not more than three yards from where l was silently sitting l must have made some unconscious move ment, for suddenly it stopped and the | tail became erect Without hesitation, paid good heed to the danger signal and retreated a little distance. His mephitic majesty apparently was satis- fled with the concession, and walked slowly on, stlll keeping to the top of the wall but with his tail erect.
 | I walked home musing on the curious means of defence which nature has be- slowed on some of her subjects. Dogs may delight to bark and bite" in their | conflicts with their enemies; Bears and lions may growl and fight" in self defence, but here is a creature which goes on it's way peacefully, for even the mongrel cur of the hunter of 'pelts' knows better than to come in close quarters with foe which possesses the power of emitting one of the most pow erful odors known in the world. And assuredly the animal seems conscious of it's means of protection, it acts with such provoking coolness. There ap- pears to be perfect control over the power of emitting the nauseous fluid from the glands which secrete it, for we have it on excellent authority that the skunk, when taken young, can be easily trained, and makes a cleanly interesting and intelligent pet. All the Mustelidae are noted for their unpleas- ant smell--otters, badgers, martens, weasels and sllunks-but out of the whole number the last-named is the only one which can actively use it as a means of defence
 We are accustomed to connect de- fence among animals with biting, scratching, stinging and the like; and consequently are inclined to let slip some of the interesting instances in which other means are used. The toad, when suddenly seized enits yellow ish fluid which is acrid enough to cause irritation of delicate skin. This, like the fluid of the skunk is under the control of the animal for I had a tame toad for several years which would hop from my writing-table to my out stretched hand and sit there quietly until l placed it down again. Cuttle- fish possess an ink-bag from which the cephalopod ejects a dark fluid which 4 [effectually conceals 1t from any dis turber of it's peace that invades it's rocky retreat.
 Not only odor but taste, is called in as means of protection. It is well known that some caterpillars are so nauseous to the taste that insectivor- ous birds even will not eat them. And one of the strangest facts is that these caterpillars are not only brightly and attractively colored in their larval state, but also in the perfect form.
 Two mammals are provided with a strange means of protection--the DOT cupine and the hedgehog The former is clothed with hairs some of which are thickened and heightened into the porcupine "quills" which figure as pen holders A supposition formerly held was that the creature had the power of ejecting these spines, like so many ar rows, at its enemy but this story must be placed among the myths. What the porcupine does is to erect the spines, which then stand up, not at right an gles, but at a slope over the body, and VI charge his enemy in that very un-Spar- tan-like way, backwards Dogs are of ten seriously injured in this way.
 The hedgehog, to which Calaban l e,,iritc Anne the Duke of Gloucester-the hedge-pig of Macbeth's wltches-is a timd little European animal about the size of a half-grown rabbit Like the porcupine, it is clothed in a spiny ar- nor from head to tail, and at the slightest sign of danger it rolls itself into a ball. Violence will scarcely make it open itself out but if water is poured upon it, the animal uncoils inl- mediately. Few dogs care to attack a hedgehog, for the spines prick like needles. The armor is purely defen- sive and not an offensive provision.
 Any one who has handled a hawk or other member of the falcon family knows how well bill and claws can be used, Even the sparrow-that ire pressible English immigrant-will bite and scratclAin an incredible way when caught. I have often watched the swan, especially at breeding time, an6 have been struck with the way ir which it keeps intruders at a distance from the nest or from the tawny brood of cygnets which 1t leads in and out oi the reeds. Certainly there are occa' sionally well-delivered blows of the for midable bill, but that member is most ly used in hissing. But woe betide the dog which receives blow from the ter rible wing. As a weapon of defence and offence also, it may be questioned whether there is anything known among birds equal to the wing of the swan. It is said that a single stroke will break a mans arm. On one occa. sion I witnessed fight between two swans, and I have rarely seen any thing so terrible as their anger, unless it was a combat I saw between tive stags. The rapid blows from the wings reverberated over the lake, and the water for considerable space was lashed into foam. The bills seemed never to be used but with curved necks, arched in evident pride, the tive birds sailed towards each other and grappled with the wings. Occasionally I.-. IL. |