60 THE NATURALIST IN NORWAY. 



The pole-cat and weasel are found in the south of 

 Norway, but the ferret is unknown. The squirrel 

 (Sciurus vulgaris) is common in all parts of Norway, 

 even in the far north, although I am informed it does 

 not visit the neighbourhood of the North Cape. In 

 winter it becomes of a gray colour all over the body, 

 except the cheeks and legs, which retain their rufous- 

 brown hue all the year round. During the long and 

 severe Norwegian winter, this little creature cannot 

 procure its usual food, and it is then obliged to be 

 satisfied with the tender shoots, and even with the 

 outside bark of the birch. The climate of this country 

 even sometimes makes the squirrel white. 



The skin of the squirrel when gray is much more 

 valuable than when it is red, as it can only be obtained 

 at one season of the year. It is said, in an ancient 

 Norwegian chronicle, that King Harald Erichsen re- 

 ceived the name of Graafell, which I suppose signified 

 gray fellow, because he wore an outer garment trimmed 

 with the fur of the gray squirrel. 



The Norwegian name of this little creature is egern. 

 The bonder say that when it wants to cross a river or 

 fjord, it floats on the surface of the water, puts up its 

 tail for a sail, and the winds waft it gently over to the 

 other side. 



In ancient times, squirrels were ordinarily shot in 

 Norway with blunt arrows, which knocked them on 

 the head lifeless, without injuring the skin. They 

 were also captured in snares, which were set at the 

 foot of trees, and were baited with a bird's head or 

 some other dainty ; they were also hunted with small 

 dogs. 



Pontoppidan asserts that, in his time, flying squirrels 



