THE FEATHERED GAME OF NORWAY. ia 
of mussels, shrimps, slugs, and crabs. Pontoppi- 
dan asserts “that they are able to dive to a depth 
of ten to twelve fathoms.” But while feeding, they 
are subject to great annoyance from the numerous 
tribes of gulls, which, not bemg able to dive, avail 
themselves of their labours, and the moment the duck 
reappears on the surface with a shrimp or slug in its 
mouth, pounce down, and carry it off. While sitting, 
their great enemies are the crows and ravens, which 
some of the country people declare will pull the female 
off the nest to get at the eggs. 
Some of the principal Aegge-Ver along the Nor- 
wegian coast belong to the Lofoden group, and are also 
to be found in the Varanger Fjord, a little to the east 
of the North Cape. The last-mentioned places are the 
property of the Amtman of Finmark, who farms them 
out, receiving his rent in kind from the tenant— 
namely, five hundred pounds of half-cleaned down, and 
two barrels of cloud-berries (Rubus chamemorus). 
About twenty-five years ago, the produce from these 
Aegge-Ver was about two hundred pounds of clean 
down ; now it is little more than half that quantity, 
though every possible care and precaution is taken to 
protect the birds from injury. Nota gun is allowed 
to be fired off within three miles of the breeding-places, 
except once a year, when four remdeer out of a herd 
belonging to the British vice-consul at Hammerfest 
