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]