THE BEAVER IN NORWAY 245 



and by 1800 had already disappeared from most parts of 

 the country, with the exception of the northern districts 

 of Finmark and Nordland, and the southern province of 

 Nedenas, or Christiansand. The work of extermination 

 went on more or less rapidly till the year 1845, when it 

 was somewhat checked by the enactment of protective 

 statutes ; but either these could not have worked very 

 effectually, or the war of extermination had been only too 

 well carried out, for in 1880 the number of individuals 

 surviving throughout the country was estimated at only 

 about three score. Three years later the number of head 

 was put down roughly at a hundred, and since that date 

 it is probable that the number has been fully maintained, 

 if, indeed, it has not actually increased. 



The statutes which have been enacted for the preserva- 

 tion of the beaver in Norway are not, for the most part, 

 of a very effectual nature, and have a decidedly feudatory 

 smack. The statute of 1845 provided that no beavers at 

 all should be killed for ten years, and then only by the 

 proprietors of the estates on which they were found. This 

 was admirable so far as it went, but as from the beginning 

 of 1856 proprietors were again allowed to kill, without 

 either restriction as to time or number, it is obvious that 

 the good results of the first enactment might very well 

 have been speedily lost. Probably this was found to be 

 the case, as in 1863 a fresh statute was propounded, 

 establishing a close time and fixing a limitation in number. 

 According to this statute, beavers were only allowed to 

 be killed during the months of August, September, and 

 October, and then only by owners of estates, who were 

 permitted to kill but one individual annually on each 

 separate estate. 



Special exemptions might, however, be granted by the 



