56 THE FERRET. 



in some countries they have multiplied to such a degree 

 that the inhabitants consider them as a nuisance. Though 

 capable of enduring a pretty severe climate, they seem to 

 delight in a temperate one ; so that in Sweden, they are 

 obliged to be sheltered in houses, and in the more northern 

 regions they are wholly unknown. 



Tame Rabbits, as if conscious of protection, never dig 

 holes for their retreats ; and they assume, a variety of 

 colours. Wild rabbits, on the other hand, are uniformly 

 brown, and burrow in the earth. The flesh of the latter 

 is most esteemed, as well as their furs. 



Like the hare, there are different species of rabbits, not 

 only in the old continent, but in the new. That of Brazil 

 has scarcely the rudiments of a tail. 



THE FERRET. 



The Ferret has been naturalized in Europe, but it 

 originally came from Africa, and was first imported into 

 Spain, in order to free that country from the multitudes of 

 rabbits with which it was overrun ; and thence the breed 

 has spread over other parts of this continent. It is about 

 a foot long, with red fiery eyes, and round ears. The 

 usual colour is a pale yellow, but it is frequently varied 

 with black, white, and brown. It is a lively, active 

 animal, and seems to have a predilection for rabbits, and 

 is naturally such an enemy to them that if a dead rabbit be 

 laid before a young ferret, it will instantly seize upon it, 

 although it has never seen one before ; if a living rabbit be 

 presented to it, the ferret'is still more eager, seizes it by 

 the neck, winds itself round -it, and continues to suck its 

 blood, till it is satiated. If the ferret is suffered to go 

 into the warren without a muzzle, or gets disengaged from 

 it whilst in the hole, there is a great danger of losing it ; 

 for, after satisfying itself with the blood, it falls asleep ansi 

 it is then almost impossible to come at it. The usual 

 methods of recovering the ferret are by digging it out, or 

 smoking the hole. 



The ferret is generally domesticated, and trained up to 

 the purposes oi' catching rabbits and rats. From the slen- 

 derness of its body, it is able to enter the holes of the 



