CH. I.] Hutches. 15 



fear when it comes out of a real rat's hole, 

 and will ever after " come to hand " readily. 

 You had better not be in the way when the 

 children return to their mother or nurse. I 

 have had disagreeable moments on such 

 occasions. 



Having got all your ferrets, the next ques- 

 tion is how to keep them. I have tried scores 

 of different houses for them. I have kept 

 them in a big roomy shed, in tubs, in boxes, 

 and in pits in the ground ; but now I always 

 use a box with three compartments. The 

 left-hand compartment should be the smallest 

 and filled with wheat-straw well packed in, 

 with a small round hole a little way up the 

 division, for the ferrets to use as a door. 

 The middle compartment should be empty 

 and have the floor and front made of wire 

 netting, to allow light, ventilation and drain- 

 age. The third compartment should be 

 entered from the middle one by a hole in the 



