FERRETS AND RABBITS. 397 



When ferreting, keepers should especially 

 avoid two things — leaving a dead rabbit in 

 the earth, and disturbing the earths too 

 much. A good ferreter is always sparing in 

 the use of the spade, when it is used it should 

 be used with care and judgment. I have 

 seen good ferreters wait for a long time, until 

 they are sure that the ferret is laid up with 

 the rabbit, and then dig down to the exact 

 spot, thus securing both rabbit and ferret 

 before the latter had time to spoil the former, 

 at the same time doing the least possible 

 damage to the earth. 



When working in small earths I seldom 

 muzzle my ferrets, because it often happens 

 that if a ferret, when laid up with a rabbit, has 

 not got his mouth, just as you get up to them 

 after digging for a long time, both rabbit and 

 ferret bolt, and you have to do all your work 

 over again. If your ferret had not been 

 muzzled he would either have killed the rabbit 

 or kept up close, and you would have caught 

 them both. 



If vou want rabbits to bolt freely, when you 



