STEEL TRAPS. 497 



hard weather, the fox, on the contrary, visits it in preference 

 when the snow is hut moderately deep and the temperature 

 not particularly severe. 



Many wolves are captured in Scandinavia in the common 

 steel trap. As regards the midland and southern provinces 

 of Sweden, this is chiefly the case in those set for foxes ; for 

 owing to the more wandering life led by the wolf than by the 

 fox, his duller organs of smell, and consequent less capability 

 of winding the bait from a distance, together with it being 

 probable that his instinct leads him in quest of larger game 

 than the fox is satisfied with, it would be but a poor specu- 

 lation to lay out traps expressly for the wolf the rather 

 because so many other and more advantageous modes can be 

 had recourse to for his destruction. 



However, in the more northern districts of the peninsula, 

 especially in Lapland, where the wolf follows the herds 

 of reindeer in their wide wanderings from forest to fjall, 

 and from fjall to forest, this mode of capture is much 

 resorted to, and, as it is said, with very considerable success. 

 But the trap is not baited, being merely concealed beneath 

 the snow in such paths as the beast is likely to tra- 

 verse. It is fastened by a chain to a block of wood some 

 six feet in length, and of considerable thickness. This 

 precaution is adopted in order that in the event of bad 

 weather, the trap itself, as well as the prisoner if one 

 happens to be made should not be altogether buried in the 

 snow and lost. It is only brought into use in the winter 

 time, after the snow has fallen. It is placed in preference 

 in tracks made by the herds of tame reindeer; for these 

 Lapp-vagar, as they are called, are always frequented by 



VOL. i. K K 



