REARING AND FEEDING. 153 



be three feet six inches long, one foot six inches wide, and 

 one foot six inches deep. The feeding compartment (formed 

 at one end) must be one foot taken out of the whole space, 

 the sleeping place adjoining it one foot three inches, and the 

 other compartment one foot three inches also. To divide 

 each place from the other, strips of wood must be nailed inside 

 the box to the back and front, leaving spaces between the 

 strips to allow of a thin board sliding down pretty tight. 

 About four inches from the foot of these partitions cut out a 

 round hole three inches diameter. Over each of these holes 

 make a small door to work on a screw. To each of these 

 doors have a stiff wire, put on to the door with a scr o vr but 

 with the end of the wire projecting through a hole in the 

 front of the ferret box. Each of the three compartments 

 must have a separate lid. When I describe the rest of the 

 arrangement, the uses of these sliding doors and separate lids 

 will be apparent. For the last compartment have two 

 wooden trays made, lined and covered on the sides with zinc 

 plate. Have to these trays wire handles, nailed at two op- 

 posite corners, and rising up like a bow. The trays being 

 made to fit easily into this compartment are lifted out by the 

 two handles. The box is now complete. The sliding door 

 to cover the hole in the feeding compartment may be on 

 whichever side is preferred. The other sliding door must 

 be in the sleeping side, so as not to interfere with the slipping 

 down of the tray. The sides of these trays must be four 

 inches high. They will thus come just under the hole in the 

 division. I should be inclined, however, to recommend the 

 sides as being about six inches high except at the hole, where 

 a piece can be hollowed out. People acquainted with the 

 habit of ferrets will see why I recommend the sides to be 

 pretty high. Mine were about four inches, but six would be 

 none the worse. Into the tray you must put some dry sand 

 or sawdust, about an inch or two deep, and every day, or at 

 most every two days, empty it out, wash the tray and put it 

 in the air to dry, while you substitute the other. Let the 

 ferrets have a warm bed of hay and wool. When you. feed 

 or clean them, pull the wire of the place you are about to 

 open, and thus close the door. This is a very needful pre- 

 caution, for I should say that the task set to our friend 



