186 TEN YEAES IN SWEDEN. 



these inquisitive peasants), for it is not as easily .carried 

 home in the pocket as a hare. There may probably be 

 some wild forests up in North Wermland and Dalecarlia, 

 where the elks might be the property of those who killed 

 them; but, I believe, if a stranger killed an elk 

 hereabouts, he must either pay for it, or give it up to 

 the owner of the forest, unless he had leave from him to 

 shoot elk. 



An elk is worth not a little, especially to a peasant. I 

 remember at one peasant skall, got up here in 1863, a fine 

 old bull elk was killed. He was sold as he lay for 150 rqr., 

 or about 7. A large male elk of five years old, which was 

 carefully weighed, when he was skinned and cut up, weighed 

 as follows : 



Swedish Ib. 



The fore-quarters . . . ,. . 300 

 The hind-quarters . . . . . 260 

 The back, with the neck . . . , 60 

 The head, with the horns and ears on . > x 60 

 The feet, cut off at the knee * . > 32 

 The raw hide . . . * ; ,. . 60 

 The intestines, without the blood . . 400 



So, altogether, the full weight of the beast was 1100 Ib., of 

 which we might reckon 600 Ib. good beef. But I have 

 seen and killed them larger. It is on record, and I really 

 believe this is true, that a young bull killed in autumn, in 

 Nerike Land, weighed over 1400 Ib. 



The meat, when fresh, is capital, very like juicy beef, 

 but darker, with a fine gravy taste. It is worth in a town 

 about 6d. a Ib. The skin is worth little or nothing, 

 except for harness and makmg leather breeches. 



The habits, size, colour, and form, of our Swedish elk, so 

 precisely agree with those of the North American moose in 

 every respect, that unless some minute osteological differ- 

 ence can be found to exist (as is the case in the beavers of 

 the two countries), I think we may fairly consider them as 

 one and the same animal. 



