skunk porpoise

Skunk \Skunk\, n. [Contr. from the Abenaki (American Indian)
   seganku.] (Zool.)
   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.
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   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.
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   {Skunk bird}, {Skunk blackbird} (Zool.), 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}. (Zool.) See under {Porpoise}.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Porpoise \Por"poise\, n. [OE. porpeys, OF. porpeis, literally,
   hog fish, from L. porcus swine + piscis fish. See {Pork}, and
   {Fish}.]
   1. (Zool.) Any small cetacean of the genus {Phoc[ae]na},
      especially {Phoc[ae]na communis}, or {Phoc[ae]na
      phoc[ae]na}, of Europe, and the closely allied American
      species ({Phoc[ae]na Americana}). The color is dusky or
      blackish above, paler beneath. They are closely allied to
      the dolphins, but have a shorter snout. Called also
      {harbor porpoise}, {herring hag}, {puffing pig}, and
      {snuffer}.
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   2. (Zool.) A true dolphin ({Delphinus}); -- often so called
      by sailors.
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   {Skunk porpoise}, or {Bay porpoise} (Zool.), a North American
      porpoise ({Lagenorhynchus acutus}), larger than the common
      species, and with broad stripes of white and yellow on the
      sides. See Illustration in Appendix.
      [1913 Webster]