12 ARKIV FÖR ZOOLOGI. BAND 6. N:0 4. 



joki över Padar Lake, along Jöenjoki and Enare Lake dovvn 

 Patsjoki to the Russian frontier.» In the year 1900 Mr. 

 Granit^ states that in northern Finland wild Reindeer were 

 to be found» only in Enontekis (very little) and in Sodan- 

 kylä and Enare parochial districts within the great wilder- 

 nesses which form the watershed between the affluents to 

 the Arctic Ocean and tliose to the Gulf of Bothnia>>. From 

 this district and towards the south the same aiithor did not 

 beheve that there existed any wild Reindeer nearer than at 

 Ilomants and thence along the Russian frontier towards La- 

 doga. Quite lately, however, Dr. Alex. Luther kindly has 

 communicated that it appears certain that the w^ild Rein- 

 deer now are exterminated in the southern parts of the pre- 

 sent Finland even if now and then some stragglers from 

 Russian Carelia are seen near the frontier. But »in Ladoga- 

 Careha wild Reindeer have been observed even during the 

 last years, principally on the grounds belonging to the mona- 

 stery of Valamo, where tliey must not be molested.» 



The Finland Reindeer is thus very nearly extermina- 

 ted in the greatest part of its former habitat and it looks 

 almost as a bitter irony of the fäte that it should not be 

 recognized and discerned as a separate race before it was in 

 so imminent danger of becoming entirely extinct. It is very 

 certain that only little scientific material of this Reindeer 

 exists in zoological collections. 



If we now return to the question whether this large Fin- 

 land Reindeer ever occurred in Sweden, it is of importance 

 to remind about the fact that the forest-clad area of Fin- 

 land, which was the principal habitat of this animal, is or 

 was fully continuous with that of Xorthern Sweden, and it 

 must already for this reason be probable that the Finlandic 

 woodland Reindeer also extended its distribution into the 

 latter country. There are some records in the literature as 

 well which strongly speak for the same theory. It is a fully 

 establishecl fact that in former days wild Reindeer occurred 

 in the forests of Northern Sweden, and it is also w^ell known 

 that these were larger than the Reindeer of the mountains, even 

 the wild ones. A very important account about the Rein- 

 deer of Northern Sweden is published b}^ Jonas Hollsten in 



^ Tidskr. f. Jägare och Fiskare, 8: de årg. Helsingfors 1900. 



