The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-07-10

industrious, and bloodthirsty, and that in gen.
erl il preys upon small animals, Birds their
eggs, and insects, there does not appear to be
anything which can be communicated respect
ing its way of life and disposition.
The domestic ahino ferret is, of course, thor
oughly understood by those who keep them for
sporting purposes, and it is from one of these,
Mr.. Mather, that the following information is
derived:
There are two varieties of the domesticated
race, the brown or fitch ferret and the white.
The writer is not aware of any other instance
IN which so aberrant n popularity as albinsm
has been similarly propagated through re-
moval from the action of natural selection.
These white ferrets-originally of course, what
are called sports breed true, and it has come
TO pass that artificial conditions have controlled
THE NATURAL TENDENCY TO REvERsIoN.
Mr. Mather represents them rs devoid of
local attachment, and therefore requiring to be
constantly confined. That this is not, however,
invariably the case, both he aud other observers
are aware. No amount of domcstication of
which these animals are susceptible cradicates
their lndiscriminately-des instincts.
ferrets born, like those of st. John, in ahutch,
will kill poultry so long as any remains 10 be
destroyed. Their yards also must be foored or
their predatory prOpcnsities impel them to dig
their way out and go hunting. Like the
Weases generally, ferrets are personally clean,
but their nests are usually foul because they
always kill more than they can use, and store
1t; and, further, because, unlike tho badgers,
they do not remove offensive matter from the
vicinity.
They are naturally highly carnivorous, but
IN captivity milk forms an important part of
their diet This, it is true, is an animal secre-
ton, and in combination with fresh meat of
various kinds constitutes their principal food
IL Is said that salted provision produces scurvy
IN ierrets, and, of course, the chemical change
effected in animal fiber by the action Of salt,
must increase the difficulty of digestion and
impair Its nutritivc value in this as III all
other instances where it is eaten, but TO what
extent and with what result is at present very
much matter of guess work.
terrets are not so voTacious as some of their
allles-the mink for example. Mather sup
poses their period of CESSATION to be about 45
days, and states that he has never seen more
than one litter in year. This is produced in
May or June, and consists of from five TO ten
young. In the original African stock there are
two annual births, each numbering from six TO
nine little ones. But among these dull and
ierocious brutes, who are absolutely without
attachment Of any kind, and to whom murder
seems the only normal excitement the female
constantly devonrs her offspring. Both PutoTlus
iuro-the form just referred to-and tame fer
refs will live with other animals, but do not
appear TO contract intimacies or form friend
ships with them and so far as instructing
them for sporting purposes is concerned, Ma
ther says this is all humbug" The so-called
trainer teaches the animal nothing, except not
10 be afraid of himself As for the rest, it is a
matter Of organized experience or instinct, and
everything that the creature does or can do is
TO be referred to its inherited tendencies.
ITO DC coHlis,ued)