Mammals Ferrets 
there was a wrinkle in the rug it made a fine tunnel 
for them. We used to put a stocking on the floor 
for them to go into; they could go clear to the end 
and turn round and come out head first—one would 
scarcely believe what a small hole they can turn 
aroundin. If we play with them they dance around 
in a comical way—backwards or sidewise, always 
keeping an eye on us. If they find something on the 
floor new to them, a broom, a mop, or ma’s sewing, 
they just go crazy, roll over and over on it, get under 
it, pull it with their teeth and very likely nip you 
if you try to take it away from them. We had a 
playful little cat (we first called it ‘‘Little Cat,’’ then 
L. C., which was finally corrupted to Elsie), and 
Jack would play with her, but he always finished by 
nipping her on the ear; he never bit her anywhere 
else. 
No matter how tame they are they have. to be 
handled carefully or they will nip or even bite hard, 
if they get a taste or smell of blood. Once one bit 
my finger and I made him let go by pinching his 
tail; but another time I held Jack too close to my 
face and I must have had alittle blood on my nose, for 
he made a grab for it, and wouldn’t let go—we had 
to slip the separator wrench down his throat and 
twist it around to open his jaws. After that I was 
more careful. When hunting rats we always 
handled the ferrets with gloves. 
They were not trained when we got them, and 
. when we put a rat in their hutch they did not know 
what to do with it; they would nip it a little, but the 
rat was more than amatch forthem. So we trained 
them by giving them live mice and English spar- 
rows, and they soon learned to kill things with one 
bite. Then we tried putting in the rat again. It 
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