Page:The Golden Hamster Manual.djvu/56

 pouches soon after swimming begins, and the buoyancy afforded thereby sustains them for long periods, so that in surface swimming they rival some of the aquatic animals. The adult hamster in water appears to appeal to the large game fish sense of hunger, or desire to fight, to about the same extent as might a baby rabbit 3 to 4 weeks of age, or a very young muskrat or duckling. Most game fish under 2 or 3 pounds will hardly accomplish more than to maul and rough the adult hamster for a moment, possibly pulling him under momentarily. In case he is rubber-banded behind the front legs, there is some danger of a heavy fish stretching the band, loosing the hamster. A rubber band ahead of the front legs is not advised in the swim or water chill test since such a band may prevent inflation of the cheek pouches and in that handicapped situation the hamster may not be able to swim high and well enough in rough water to stay a sufficient time for an adequate test. A hook, from which the barb has been removed, and the sharp point dulled, may be looped-over twice by the rubber band about the hamster just behind his front legs for most such tests as here suggested with rod and line.

However, the author has no hesitancy to go all out in advising the use of frozen or preserved presight nest culls for game-fish baits. Most fishermen know the use of large grubs, dead baby mice, rats, etc. To anyone not aware of the frequency with which baby birds, mice, etc., fall into streams during high winds, storms, and invasions of their nests by birds and beasts of prey, let it be said that such nest losses are both common and frequently to such extent as to be rather amazing to the average person. Naturally, the presight hamster culled from the nest, whether to attain some maximum for the service of science or to assure better breeding stock prospects from the remainder of the litter, is a near perfect duplicate of a baby mouse or baby rat on a comparative age-size basis. The fact that the hamster has little tail has never been analyzed by the game fish. And the grand-daddy of the run, or pool has doubtless many times bumped aside the lesser fish in his rush for such tempting food. If desired, preparatory to immediate bait usage, a number of such preserved nest culls may be soaked In water ‘for a half hour or so to remove preservative flavor and odor,’ and by use of a medicine dropper may be injected in each bait some A & D oil, anise, fish bait oil, or any preferred attractor. Some fishermen and hobbyists raise hamsters mainly for hobby fun and income, but the author suspects that they would still raise hamsters were there no market other than the just mentioned flsherman’s use of these nest culls. One fisherman sells another breeding stock for that purpose. More than one such salesman has paid the expense on a major fishing trip by such sales, animals delivered on the spot or shipped later. Several hamsters of any age may be carried for days. in an empty minnow pail. Two such pails, one for older males and one, for younger females, afford a fair travelling hamster store. Buyers carry them home in similar containers, tin pail, etc. Well, that is but one way of marketing hamster production to a profit!

If for any reason one desires to wean a maximum litter number of small hamsters, simply omit culling such litter and feed it and mother daily on a low protein diet of grains and greens. A meager feeding of pellets each 4 or 5 days. Supplemental nest feedings