THE BEAVER IN NORWAY. 73 



alive. It should be fed at first with small fishes, then 

 with milk, and, after a short time, with bread and milk. 

 When sufficiently tame, it may be taught with an arti- 

 ficial or even with a dead fish ; should it injure the 

 fish, it must receive a gentle castigation with a whip. 

 When it knows how to dive in pursuit of a fish in 

 the water, it should be sent in to catch fishes for its 

 master. 



The colour of the otter does not vary during the 

 winter in Norway. At this time of the year, when 

 pressed by hunger, and fishes are not to be obtained, 

 it feeds on crabs, limpets, frogs, and even on water- 

 rats, as well as on the bark of trees that grow near the 

 water. 



The beaver (Castor fiber) was formerly very common 

 in Norway, and was principally found in Soloer, Oster- 

 dalen, Gudbrandsdalen, and Jemteland ; there is still 

 a Bsever-dalen and a Baever-elv, or river, in Oster- 

 dalen. It is now only to be met with on the estate of 

 Mr. Aall, a gentleman who resides near Arendal, in 

 the south of Norway. The Norwegian beaver is about 

 two feet ten inches in length, exclusive of the tail, 

 which is eight or ten inches more. Its colour is dark- 

 brown, but some are gray, through age or the effect of 

 climate. The tail is flat and oval, and is covered with 

 scales. It is said in Norway that the beaver cannot 

 let its tail remain long out of the water, so it always 

 sleeps with it hanging down in its natural element, 

 otherwise that useful appendage would become unser- 

 viceable. It is also believed here that, in the begin- 

 ning of winter, when the rivers are about to freeze, the 

 beaver keeps a space around him unfrozen by inces- 

 santly wagging his tail in the water, which he does 



