154 ANIMALS USED BY THE SHOOTER. 



' Sisyphus,' of unhappy memory, was a joke in comparison to 

 that of keeping three or four ferrets from oozing out of the 

 open box when you want to shut the lid again. Keep the 

 box in a dry place, not cold." 



For food, bread and milk should form the staple, with the 

 addition two or three times a week of a little animal food, such 

 as butcher's meat, heads and necks of poultry, or what is best 

 of all, small birds or young rabbits. They should be fed once 

 a day, the bread and milk being given lukewarm, and the 

 birds as soon after they are killed as possible. Some milk is 

 injurious, and the pans in which they are fed must be scalded 

 daily/ Q nd should be of earthenware or metal, not wood. The 

 quantity must depend upon the condition, which will vary 

 greatly in different animals, they should be so fed as to be 

 rather low than fat, and especially when they are about to be 

 used. 



The bitch ferret must be allowed to breed, or she pines 

 and becomes diseased. She goes with young forty days, and 

 the young are born blind and remain blind about a month or 

 six weeks, but they feed on their mother's bread and milk 

 before they can see, as well as upon the milk which they 

 obtain by sucking her. In a fortnight after they can see 

 they may be weaned, and then their tuition must at once be 

 commenced. For rabbits very little more is required in this 

 way except to let the young ones become accustomed to the 

 appearance and voice of their master, so as to come to him 

 when called. This is easily effected by constantly feeding 

 them, but for ratting they must be taught to attack the rats. 

 In handling them roughness should always be avoided, and 

 they should be accustomed to be taken up without fear, the 

 neck being the proper place to lay hold of. With a pair of 

 leather gloves, if they do bite at first, the pain can be en- 

 dured, and they soon leave off the attempt to hurt their 

 feeder when they find no resistance offered. They must 

 also be accustomed to the muzzle, which is applied in various 

 ways, as will presently be described. 



