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]