Note 42 — PETER KALM’s TRAVELS. (continued 4)

There is a certain quadruped which is pretty common not only in Pensylvania, but likewise in other provinces both of South and North America, and goes by the name of Polecat among the English. In New York they generally call it Skunk. The Swedes here by way of nickname called it Fiskatta, on account of the horrid stench it sometimes causes as I shall presently show. The French in Canada, for the same reason call it Bête puante or stinking animal, and Enfant du diable or child of the devil. Some of them likewise call it Pekan: Catesby in his Natural History of Carolina, has described it in Vol. 2. p. 62. by the name of Putorius Americanus striatus and drawn it plate 62. Dr. Linnæus calls it Viverra Putorius.42 This animal, which is very similar to the Marten, is of about the same size and commonly black: on the back it has a longitudinal white stripe and two others on each side, parallel to the former. Sometimes but very seldom, some are seen which are quite white. On our return to Philadelphia we saw one of these animals not far from town near a farmer’s house, killed by dogs. And afterwards I had during my stay in these parts several opportunities of seeing it and of hearing its qualities. It keeps its young ones in holes in the ground and in hollow trees; for it does not confine itself to the ground, but climbs up trees with the greatest agility: it is a great enemy to birds; for it breaks their eggs and devours their young ones; and if it can get into a hen roost it soon destroys all its inhabitants.