Ferrets Working. 20 1 



minute's worry, and then taken off. When half a dozen 

 repetitions of this process have been gone through, the 

 youngster may be considered initiated into a good share of 

 the mysteries of rabbiting. 



It may seem superfluous to attempt to give any informa- 

 tion on the working of ferrets, as everyone who keeps these 

 animals will probably consider himself acquainted with the 

 mode of procedure. However, there are one or two points 

 upon which it may be useful to speak. In the matter 

 of muzzling, or rather, in technical parlance, in " coping," a 

 good deal of divergence of opinion exists. We have 

 always found, however, when ferrets can be relied on, that 

 any form of coping is superfluous, but that with some par- 

 ticularly active ones, which have a bad habit of running into 

 their rabbit before it has a chance of moving, the controlling 

 influence of a cope over their very ready mouths is beneficial. 

 But where possible we eschew a muzzle ; if, however, 

 one is needed, then we always adopt the simplest form of 

 coping possible. For this purpose whipcord, unravelled into 

 its three strands, is the best tying material. Take a length 

 of about i2in., and form a simple loop in the centre, and, 

 while someone holds the ferret and opens its mouth by 

 pressure in a backward direction on the top and beneath its 

 head, place the loop behind the first canine teeth of each 

 lower jaw, and draw the loop beneath tight enough to be 

 sure of remaining in its place, then bring the two ends and 

 tie them in a reefer's knot above the muzzle. Measure back 

 the strings together, and at a distance in a line with the back 

 of the skull tie them again, when, having passed them 

 downward on each side, they can be tied sufficiently tight to 



