臭菘

Skunk \Skunk\, n. [Contr. from the Abenaki (American Indian)
seganku.] (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of several species of American musteline carnivores
of the genus {Mephitis} and allied genera. They have two
glands near the anus, secreting an extremely fetid liquid,
which the animal ejects at pleasure as a means of defense.

Note: The common species of the Eastern United States
({Mephitis mephitica}) is black with more or less white
on the body and tail. The spotted skunk ({Spilogale
putorius}), native of the Southwestern United States
and Mexico, is smaller than the common skunk, and is
variously marked with black and white.

{Skunk bird}, {Skunk blackbird} (Zo["o]l.), the bobolink; --
so called because the male, in the breeding season, is
black and white, like a skunk.

{Skunk cabbage} (Bot.), an American aroid herb ({Symplocarpus
f[oe]tidus}) having a reddish hornlike spathe in earliest
spring, followed by a cluster of large cabbagelike leaves.
It exhales a disagreeable odor. Also called {swamp
cabbage}.

{Skunk porpoise}. (Zo["o]l.) See under {Porpoise}.