OTTER MARTEN FOX. 189 



the Laps. I have, however, known one or two killed in the 

 north of Wermland or Dalecarlia. There is no certain 

 method adopted for killing them. 



The Otter is pretty common over all the country, but I 

 never heard of any otter hounds here, which, however, 

 would afford excellent sport, for in the banks of many of the 

 small streams round us, I frequently see the otter's spor. 



The Marten. The pine-marten is not at all uncommon, 

 and of all skins here it is the most prized. It is scarcely 

 necessary to add that the winter is the only time when 

 the skins of any wild animal are sought after, or of 

 any value for fur. We always kill the marten with or 

 without a dog by following the "spor" in the snow 

 till it ' ' trees/' or takes refuge in the cleft of a rock. This 

 is not at all difficult, although often tiresome work. A good 

 marten- skin is worth from 10s. to 15s. I know of no 

 regular professional hunters, at least such as get their 

 living solely by the chase, like the trappers of North America, 

 in fact there is not game enough in this country to support 

 any man solely by hunting or shooting, and every peasant 

 shoots a little just round his own house. I wonder, however, 

 that they do not turn their attention to trapping more than 

 they do, for notwithstanding all the devices one sees de- 

 picted in books on northern sporting, you rarely if ever see 

 any in use, save just to take fish. 



The Fox. " Tally ho ! hark away 1" This cheery sound 

 is never heard in these forests, where " old Charley " dies 

 the ignominious death of a felon, without any funeral honours. 

 It would be certainly impossible to follow hounds here on 

 horseback, but in the early winter, when the ground is bare^ 

 a good deal of fun could be had with a few couples of 

 beagles and harriers, in the chase of both fox and hare. 

 The hunters of course must follow on foot with poles, and 

 pick in as well as they can. Foxes are both trapped and 

 shot here solely for the skins. In shooting them, the same 

 kind of hound is used as for hares, only a little larger. As 

 there is little to describe in such sport, I need dwell no 

 longer on the subject, save to say that there are plenty of 



