CH. VI.] Sucking Blood. 109 



and she did kill many a score after she lost 

 both eyes. I believe a ferret when in a 

 hole uses a sense we don't possess — I 

 mean the sense of touch with the long nose 

 whiskers. 



Some years ago the Field opened its 

 pages to a long discussion on the subject of 

 ferrets sucking the blood of their victims after 

 they have killed them. Writers pretending 

 to know all about it said they did do so. 

 These men are to be pitied, not laughed at, 

 for you see in the days of their youth *' Rat- 

 catching for the Use of Schools " was not 

 written, and therefore they had not learnt 

 better. A ferret no more sucks the blood of 

 the things it kills than a dog does. If you 

 doubt this, give a fresh-killed rat to a ferret, 

 let it fasten on it, and then peep at the 

 corners of its mouth, and you will find an 

 opening there into the mouth, out of which 

 blood would flow if the ferret had it in its 



