SNARES. 269 



are never fastened to the spot ; if such be the case, and the 

 bear is caught by the leg, he frequently bites, or tears off the 

 imprisoned limb. The Wermelanders and Dalecarlians and 

 the like is, I believe, the case in other parts of Scandinavia 

 fasten the chain, attached to the trap, to a small log, and as 

 this follows the beast in his movements, he is thus prevented 

 from exerting to the utmost his more than Herculean 

 strength. It is said, that to get rid of this log, the bear 

 resorts to numerous expedients ; amongst others, he buries 

 it, and then by making a sudden and desperate plunge, en- 

 deavours to relieve himself from the incumbrance. Like the 

 fox, the rat, and other animals, he at times leaves one of his 

 paws behind in the trap ; but in spite of being thus muti- 

 lated, he frequently continues to exist for years and years 

 afterwards. 



In Lapland, the bear, as will hereafter be shown, is occa- 

 sionally taken in snares; but I never heard of this device 

 being adopted in any part of the country where I have 

 sojourned. It is, however, said that a bear was noosed in 

 a singular manner in the parish of Orsa in Dalecarlia, in 

 the year 1828. The story runs thus: "One fine winter's 

 morning a peasant and his daughter started with a horse 

 and sledge for the forest, to fetch home some hay, stacked 

 on a distant morass. On the way, the man bethought 

 himself of an old Bjorn-Ide, or bear's-den, which, as it lay 

 not far from their track, he determined on visiting. Con- 

 trary to his expectations, he found it tenanted ; and though 

 unarmed, he determined on attempting the capture of the 

 occupant. For this purpose, he hastened back to the sledge, 

 whence he took a strong rope, composed of goat's hair; and 

 forming a noose at the one end, he threw the other over 



