ORDER ARTIODACTYLA: EVEN-TOED UNGULATES 471 



people hunt the wild Reindeer both legally and illegally, and, 

 furthermore, the keeping of domestic Reindeer herds is a constant 

 danger to the wild herds, for the herdsmen shoot every wild Reindeer 

 that approaches. Thus, although the law theoretically protects the 

 wild Reindeer, it will be difficult to save it from extinction in 

 Norway. Inspection is almost impossible in the remote mountain 

 districts where wild herds are still left. 



According to the Norwegian Director of Forestry (in litt., Janu- 

 ary, 1937) , the wild stock in Norway has greatly decreased, except 

 in the very latest years. At present the animals occur in several 

 separate mountain districts, from Snehetta in the north to the 

 Sirdal ridges in the south. The largest stock is no doubt to be 

 found on the Sirdal ridges and in the adjacent mountainous areas. 

 Here there are no doubt several thousand animals. In the Snehetta 

 districts there are about 600 animals, while the stock in the other 

 districts must be considerably smaller. The decrease is primarily 

 attributable to the keeping of tame Reindeer. In some places there 

 has perhaps been too much hunting. Finally, the wild Reindeer 

 seem to have some difficulty in getting accustomed to the increased 

 traffic in the mountains. They have been carefully protected for a 

 long time, and only a fixed number may be shot each year. 



"Efforts are being made to set aside an area near the city of 

 Stavanger ... in the central parts of Suldals and Bykleheiene for 

 the protection of wild reindeer which are being exterminated there 

 and elsewhere in Norway" (Julius Wadsworth, in litt., May 9, 1933) . 



Sweden. "This animal is now . . . extinct in Sweden but at the 

 time of Linnaeus and still during the first half of the last century 

 it was fairly numerous in the southern parts of its former area of 

 distribution, that is in Northern Dalecarlia Sarna and Idre. . . . 



"Rangifer tarandus Lin. comprises thus the now extinct Reindeer 

 of the Swedish fells formerly distributed southward to Dalecarlia, 

 the still existing wild Norwegian Reindeer, and the tame Mountain 

 Reindeer of Swedish Lapland and adjoining parts of Norway and' 

 probably northern Finland as well." (Lonnberg, 1909, pp. 2-3.) 



"About the year 1850 . . . the wild Reindeer occurred in great 

 flocks in the neighbourhood of Idre [northwestern part of the present 

 Province of Kopparberg]. They came down then into the forests 

 quite near to Idre church-village and were eagerly hunted there. 

 By the moving in of new settlers and even Laps the shy Reindeer 

 were driven away to the least accessible places and they grew more 

 and more scarce within the Swedish boundaries. I know with cer- 

 tainty that residents shot wild Reindeer in the year 1860." (Wahl- 

 berg, in Lonnberg, 1909, p. 2.) 



"When the Lapps were allowed to extend their wanderings with 

 their herds of 'domesticated' reindeer into the district mentioned 



