Just thought I'd answer Bob on this question.  The following passages are
from "Why Things Are" by Joel Achenbach.
 
"According to James Lipton, author of "An Exaltation of Larks", the English
nobility had nothing better to do in the 15th century but sit around and
think up funny names for groups of animals.  This was called the "venereal
game," after the word "venery", an archaic term for hunting.  Terms became
widely circulated by word of mouth, then established through the publication
of "books of courtesy" which instructed a gentleman how to behave properly
in society and, among other things, use the right name for a bunch of foxes
("skulk").  Some others: A hover of trout, a husk of hares, a labor of
moles, an unkindness of ravens, a mumuration of starlings, a knot of toads,
a gang of elk, afall of woodcocks, a rafter of turkeys, a kindle of kittens,
a pitying of turtledoves, a crash of rhinos, a congregation of plovers, a
bevy of roebucks."
 
Anyway, there you are.  I think a "business of ferrets" in somewhat
appropriate.
 
Jeff - The easily manipulated daddy
Sue -  The bearer of Ferretone
Nikita - The cute, clumsy and totally spoiled sable
[Posted in FML issue 1399]