I like the idea of better subject lines, so I'm trying this one (until BIG
suggests otherwise).
 
Basically, if you own a fitch, you own a ferret. For all intents and
purposes, they are one and the same.
 
From what I have been able to gather, "fitch" is short for "fitchew," which
is one of many common names of the ferret (refer to the list given in my
nickname post sometime ago.  An improved version will soon be uploaded to
BIG for people to download at will).  However, "fitch" has carried several
meanings over the years, depending on the country and "use" of the ferret.
"Fitch" has been and is used to describe the ferret pelt sans ferret, and is
commonly used in the furo business (ok, a little double-pun.  I swear I
couldn't help myself).  "Fitch" is commonly used instead of "ferret" when
the fuzzies are raised on fur farms; a very common practice in New
Zealand--many NZ journals call ferrets "fitch" almost exculsively.
 
Some authors use "fitch" to describe feral ferrets to distinquish them from
lost house pets (a practice I employ).  Others use it to describe a
ferret-polecat cross, a commonly applied term in Britain and the USA.  I
have even read papers where "fitch" is considered a common name of the
European polecat.  The bottom line is, "fitch" is a folk name, and as such,
varies in its application depending on the local folk classification system,
so what it means depends on where you hear it.
 
This is a great illustration of the difficulties of historic research,
especially in the biological sciences.  Two geographic groups might use the
same name, but apply it to different animals, so you never actually know to
which animal the writer is refering (This was one of the compelling reasons
for the initiation of the taxonomic system to give animals unique names).  I
think the Greek references to ferrets dating to 424 BC are a case in point.
Aristophanes wrote a series of plays (Peace, Wasps, etc.) in which he spoke
of a small animal, ictis, that has been variously translated as "mongoose,"
"cat," "polecat" and "ferret." If you only read one play, the argument for
translation as 'polecat' can be strong.  However, after reading all the
plays, the use is clearly describing a domesticated animal, which wouldn't
be a polecat, and since cats were not popular nor readily available at the
time, the remaining choice is ferret.  Aristotle used the same word, ictis,
so there is strong supporting evidence for his use (as ferret) about 350 BC.
As for mongoose, they used other words for that animal; the use was a
mistranslation.
 
As for stereoscopic vision, yes, ferrets have such vision, as do most
predators, monkeys, and some tree-dwelling prey species.  Ferrets eyes bug
me also--they can be so dark you never know where they are looking.  In
fact, their eye is much like ours, with a whitish sclera, colored iris,
pupil and everything.  The eyelid covers the white part, and the iris is
very dark so that the iris and pupil tend to merge into one big dark "eye."
If you shine a small penlight at an angle into their eye, you will see that
they normally look forwards, and typically turn their heads to see objects
to the side.  The retina is mostly composed of rods, so color vision is
limited to the deeper reds in ferrets--everything else is seen as various
grays.
 
The angle of view in the ferret is wider than in the polecat, probably due
to changes in skull morphology during domestication.  The angle of view for
the polecat is about the same as a dog, but not as much forward as in
monkeys and cats.  You can assume they, like us, look forward to view
objects, but they just have better peripheral vision.  As for the dark eyes,
they are most likely a defence coloration.  When coupled with the dark mask,
they make the eyes look very large, giving the illusion, when attacking a
potiential predator, of a huge head coming at them.  Can be very startling,
and gives the polecat a chance to escape.  Another possiblity is that they
combine to form "anti-glare" panels for eyes very sensitive to bright light.
Could be both, or some combination, but no studies have confirmed either
case in the ferret.
 
Oh yeah, Bill.  Its not hard to answer difficult questions when one has
access to gobs of literature.  (My room is a state-certified fire-hazard.
My son says "Dad went to S-Mart" when I run to the library.  My book and
copy bills look like a minature version of the national debt.) My problem is
I have been innoculated with a phonograph needle, and can't stop
talking/writing.  Also, not only am I of European extract, I suffer from
testosterone poisoning, and also have a severe genetic disorder.  I have the
dominant Y-linked genetic trait of loving to "explain." That and fixing
things.  I'm at my best when explaining how to fix things.  Even the ferrets
roll their eyes and trot off to take a nap.  Otherwise, I'm a new-age
sensitive guy, who is also very cool.  But in a dangerous way.
 
Bob and the 13 Bug-eyed Bonzos.
[Posted in FML issue 1479]