In an interesting article about the Animal Medical Center in NY (Smithsonian
magazine, October 1996, page 36), there appears the following passage on
page 44 describing the exotic pets they treat: "About 60 percent of the
unit's patients are birds; 20 percent are ferrets, guinea pigs and other
rodents; and the other 20 percent are reptiles, the newest fad." The
magazine has a WWW site for letters to the editor:
 
       http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/feedback.html
 
or they can be reached via email at
 
       [log in to unmask]
 
For snail mail, their address is
 
       Editor, Smithsonian Magazine
       900 Jefferson Drive, SW
       Room 1301
       Washington, DC   20560
 
We've sent them a message expressing our views along with a suggestion that
they publish an article about ferrets, their history, and their legal status.
 
Wayne and Sylvia Baggett
[Posted in FML issue 1712]