20 FERRET FACTS AND FANCIES. 



witli the American skunk or civet cat, as it in no 

 way resembles these animals. Fitchet or Fitch 

 Cat, is the name given to the animal throughout 

 much of Europe. The pelt or fur is known to the 

 fur trade as fitch and can be described as consist- 

 ing of a woolly, yellow under fur, showing 

 through longer, glossy dark hairs. In the Rus- 

 sian skins the under fur is almost white. The 

 body of this animal is about seventeen inches 

 long and the tail six. The fur is of value and 

 thousands are used each season. 



Ferrets, as bred and raised in this country, 

 will average around fifteen inches in length of 

 body and tail five. They weigh up to three 

 pounds but the average will be nearer a pound 

 and one-half. In parts of the West there is a 

 species known as the black footed ferret. They 

 often live in prairie dog holes and in some locali- 

 ties have about exterminated the prairie dog. 

 This species is very similar to the brown or dark, 

 other than its feet are black. Wliile found in 

 several Western states, it is not plentiful enough, 

 except in a few localities, to be a menace to 

 prairie dogs and other pests. 



The Eastern states, such as Pennsylvania, 

 New York and the New Eu gland states are all 

 buyers of ferrets for rabbit hunting. In fact, 

 most all rou^jh or rockv states are users of the 



