ORDER CARNIVORA: CARNIVORES 269 



The species was formerly common in the Norwegian forests 

 north to about latitude 65 30'. A quarter of a century ago Collett 

 remarked on a great decrease. Since it preys upon the more im- 

 portant smaller game and on small cattle, it is hunted throughout 

 the country and is not protected by law. (Hj. Broch, in Hit., Decem- 

 ber, 1936.) Up to about 1875 it was generally distributed in the 

 woodlands of Norway. A small stock remains in some places in 

 Fosen, Namdalen, and South Helgeland. In southern Norway it is 

 doubtful if there is any resident stock, but now and then some 

 stragglers may appear. Up to the present, bounties have been paid 

 on the Lynx, and it is doubtful if its total extermination in Norway 

 can be prevented. (Director of Forestry, Norwegian Ministry of 

 Agriculture, in litt., January, 1937.) 



About a century ago the Lynx was rather common throughout 

 Sweden except in the northernmost provinces and in some of the 

 southernmost. From 1827 to 1839, 3,224 Lynxes were killed an 

 annual average of 248; in 1844, 250; and in 1845, 273. The annual 

 average was about 175 in 1856-60; 121 in 1865-69; 105 in 1871-75; 

 67 in 1876-80; 24 in 1881-85; 35 in 1891-1900; 10 in 1901-05; 17 

 (all in the four northernmost provinces) in 1906-10; 11 in 1921-25. 

 In the southern provinces the species was practically exterminated 

 before 1870; in the middle provinces it was found in diminished 

 numbers in the 1890's. The increase in numbers killed in the 1890's 

 and in 1906-10 was due to livelier persecution in the more northern 

 provinces. 1 In 1926 and 1927, 7 Lynxes were killed. Since then the 

 species has been protected by law to the extent that it may not be 

 killed on public domains, and, if killed on private lands, it is never- 

 theless crown property, so that the profit motive is eliminated. The 

 crown domains are very extensive, especially in the northern prov- 

 inces, and there are some state forests, especially in Westerbotten, 

 where the animals seem to thrive and to increase somewhat. There 

 are a few in Angermanland and perhaps also in Jemtland, while 

 stragglers have been traced in some other provinces. (Einar Lonn- 

 berg, in litt., October, 1936.) 



The following information on the Lynx's range and status in 

 Russia and Siberia is derived from Ognev (1935, pp. 206-214) : 

 The range extends entirely across Russia from east to west; in the 

 north it reaches the tree limit on the Kola Peninsula and at other 

 points near the Arctic coast; in the south it reaches Podolia, the 

 southern part of the Western and the Moscow Areas, the district 

 of Penza, and the former Governments of Kazan and Orenburg. 

 Within this range its numbers vary considerably but are evidently 



1 Possibly these increases represented peaks in a periodic fluctuation, such 

 as is evident in the case of the Canada Lynx; 1895-97 and 1905-06 were peak 

 periods for the latter species (cf. Seton, 1929, vol. 4, p. 711). Ed. 



