THE FERRET. 



281 



Some years ago, an escaped Ferret was discovered in its usurped burrow, and most gal- 

 lantly captured by a young lad who was extremely courageous for his years. He was prowl- 

 ing round a small, thickly-wooded copse, in search of birds' nests, when he saw a sharply- 

 pointed snout protruding from a rabbit-hole in the bank which edged the copse, and a pair of 

 fiery little eyes gleaming like two living gems in the semi-darkness of the burrow. Being a 

 remarkably silent and reticent lad, he told no one of his discovery, but went into the village, 

 and presently returned, bearing a little dead kitten which had just been drowned. He then 

 crept to the foot of the bank which overhung the burrow, and holding the dead kitten by its 

 tail, lowered it into the hole. The Ferret made an immediate spring at the prey which had 

 made so opportune an arrival, and was jerked out of the burrow before it could loosen its hold. 



The lad grasped the Ferret across the body, 

 but as he was lying in such a manner that he 

 could only use his left arm, the enraged animal 

 began to bite his hand in the most furious man- 

 ner. However, the young captor could not be in- 

 duced to let the Ferret escape, and with great 

 presence of mind whirled the creature round with 

 such rapidity that it was soon rendered almost 

 senseless by giddiness, and gave him an opportu- 

 nity of grasping it with his right hand. The Ferret 

 could not bite while thus held, and was borne tri- 

 umphantly home, in spite of the wounds which 

 had been inflicted on the hand. The bite of an 

 enraged Ferret is of a very severe character, and, 

 probably in consequence of the nature of its food, 

 is difficult to heal and extremely painful. 



It is a fierce little animal, and is too apt to 

 turn upon its owner, and wound him severely be- 

 fore he suspects that the creature is actuated by 

 any ill-intentions. I once witnessed a rather curious 

 example of the uncertainty of the Ferret's temper. 

 A lad who possessed a beautiful white Ferret had 

 partially tamed the creature, and thought that it 

 was quite harmless. The Ferret was accustomed 

 to crawl about his person, and would permit itself 

 to be caressed almost as freely as a cat. But on 

 one unfortunate morning, when its owner was 

 vaunting the performances of his protegee for it 

 was a female the creature made a quiet but rapid 

 snap at his mouth, and drove its teeth through 

 both his lips, making four cuts as sharply defined as if they had been made with a razor. 



Still, the Ferret is really susceptible of kind feeling, and has been often known to be truly 

 tamed. One of these animals was accustomed to accompany its master when he took a walk 

 in the country, and was permitted to range at will. Round its neck a little bell was hung, so 

 as to give indications of its presence, but it was so extremely tame that this precaution was 

 hardly needed. It would follow its master like a dog, and if he ran away would hunt his 

 footsteps, anxiously and eagerly seeking for his presence. This was a Polecat-ferret. 



When Ferrets are used for the purpose of hunting rabits, their mouths are securely muz- 

 zled before they are permitted to enter the burrows ; as, if their teeth were at liberty, they 

 would in all probability kill the first rabbit which they met, and remain in the burrow for the 

 purpose of sucking its blood. They are purposely kept without their ordinary meals before 

 they are taken into the field, and are therefore especially anxious to secure their prey. Several 

 modes of muzzling the Ferret are in vogue : some of them being as humane as is consistent 

 with the act of fastening together the jaws of any animal, and others being most shamefully 



FERRET. Jfuetela furo. 



