Hi all-- I'm a couple of days behind on this one, but somebody commented that in ye olden days ferrets were kept on ships to keep down the rodent populations. I'd just like to observe that apparently this practice continued into this century. There's a single solitary book on ferret care in McGill's library, published in I think 1910, which gives instructions for setting up a colony of ferrets. The purpose, according to the book, was to sell ferrets to shipping companies, who let them loose on their cargo ships. The book also observes that they can make good companions and tells a touching story of a ferret who would follow its ten year old boy a mile and a half to school every morning. According to this book, ferrets produce lousy pelts (now there's a survival trait for ya), so the shipping industry was really the only reason to raise ferrets. There was a town in Ohio back then nicknamed Ferretville because of all the ferret farms located there-- I suppose they'd sell to shipping companies located on the Great Lakes. If anyone wants the title, author, etc of the book, I can get it for you, but I have a feeling that it was published originally more as a pamphlet and might not be widely available. I empathize with all of you other university folks out there-- I can't believe the delays in getting on line, and our system has crashed twice already! Well, I suppose that's the cost you pay for more or less free access. Regina, Amelia and Cully-- we'd all get seasick, I think! ********************************************* Regina Harrison PhD Student, Anthropology Joint Co-ordinator, AGSEM-- McGill's TA union McGill University Montreal, Quebec [Moderator's note: Ummm... I'm one of those university folks who are no doubt hired to make your life difficult, but I guess it boils down to who you talk to. BIG [Posted in FML issue 1689]