60 
Quadrupeds. 
m 
THE FERRET, (Mustefa furo,) 
Is a small, yet bold animal, and an enemy to all others 
but those of his own kind. He closely resembles the 
Polecat, and is considered by many naturalists, to be 
merely a domesticated variety of that animal. His eyes 
are remarkably fiery. He is much used to drive rabbits 
from their holes, and for this purpose is always muzzled, 
as otherwise he would feast upon the blood of the first 
rabbit he met with, and then quietly lay himself down 
in the burrow to sleep. He is such an inveterate enemy 
to the rabbit, that if a dead one' be presented to a young 
Ferret, he instantly bites it with an appearance of rapa- 
city ; or, if it be living, the Ferret seizes it by the neck, 
winds himself round it, and continues to suck its blood 
till he be satiated ; indeed, his appetite for blood is 
so strong, that he has been known to attack and kill 
children in the cradle. He is very soon irritated ; and 
his bite is very difficult to be cured. 
Our figure is full large, as the length of the animal is 
usually about thirteen inches, exclusive of the tail, 
which is about five. 
