FERRE'S* 
368 
the weasel, is the length of the hair on its tail, which 
is much longer in the ferret than in the weasel. 
As this animal is a native of the torrid zone, so 
it cannot bear the rigours of our climate without 
care and shelter ; and it generally repays the trou- 
ble of its keeping, by its great agility in the war- 
ren. It is naturally such an enemy of the rabbit 
kind, that if a dead rabbit be presented to a young 
ferret, although it has never seen one before, it in- 
stantly attacks and bites it with an appearance of 
rapacity. If the rabbit be living, the ferret is- still 
mote eager, seizes it by the neck, winds itself 
round it, and continues to suck its blood, till it be 
satiated. 
Their chief use in warrens is to enter the holes, 
and drive the rabbits into a net prepared for them 
at the mouth. For this purpose, the ferret is 
muzzled ; otherwise, instead of driving out the 
rabbit, it would content itself with killing and 
sucking its blood at the bottom of the hole ; but, 
by this contrivance, being rendered unable to seize 
its prey, the rabbit escapes from its claws, and in- 
stantly makes to the mouth of the hole with such 
precipitation, that it is inextricably entangled in 
the net placed there for its reception. It often 
happens, however, that the ferret disengages itself 
of its muzzle, and then it is most commonly lost, 
unless it be dug out ; for, finding all its wants 
satisfied in the warren, it never thinks of returning 
to the owner, but continues to lead a rapacious 
solitary life while the summer continues, and 
dies with the cold of the winter. In order to 
bring the ferret from his hole, the owners often 
burn straw and other substances at the mouth ; thev 
also beat above to terrify it ; but this does not 
always succeed ; for as there arc often several is- 
sues to each hole, the ferret is affected neither by 
the noise nor the smoke, but continues secure at 
