WILD ANIMALS TRAINED TO HUNT 91 



bird in its mouth, a second one within the grasp 

 of its fore-paws, and another one beneath its hind 

 paws. Mr. Grosse writes of the species :— ' The cat, 

 strange as it appears, was certainly taught to seize 

 upon the birds. ... It is probable also that 

 the repugnance of this animal to wet her feet 

 having been overcome by training, she was accus- 

 tomed to fetch such birds as fell into the water.' 



Quite a large and varied number of wild creatures 

 are utilised by mankind for the work of catching 

 rats, but some of these have been associated with 

 human beings and bred in captivity for so many 

 generations that they may now be regarded as 

 domestic animals. The well-known ferret, for 

 instance, is but a variety of the wild polecat which 

 has become somewhat modified in form as a result 

 of its having been kept and reared in a captive 

 state for so long. We read that it was employed 

 in the days of Pliny for rabbit -hunting, while its 

 presence in England can be traced back for six 

 hundred years or more. It is somewhat smaller 

 than its wild relative, and usually possesses a 

 yellowish-white coat and pink eyes, but a variety 

 known as the polecat-ferret has tawny-coloured 

 fur. When used for hunting rabbits, it is the 

 custom to place a muzzle over the creature's mouth, 

 for otherwise it might remain in the burrows of its 

 prey and slaughter the inmates and feast upon 

 their bodies instead of causing them to bolt ; but 

 when it is employed as a ratter it works unmuzzled 

 on accoimt of the formidable character and bold 

 disposition of these rodents. We are told also 



