26 THE STEEL-TRAP. 



finds himself beset by enemies, he skulks in some hole or 

 corner, and is thus passed by the people. 



Others again are run down on Skidor, especially in Lap- 

 land, where, from the more open nature of the country, the 

 task provided the snow be in tolerable order is by no 

 means a difficult one. A good dog is of great service on 

 these occasions; for, owing to the glutton not being fleet 

 of foot, the dog is soon enabled to come up with him. When 

 the beast finds himself hard pressed, he usually trees like 

 a squirrel, or conceals himself in the crevice of a rock, 

 where of course he is easily destroyed. 



It may happen that the glutton is captured in a pit-fall, 

 but not, I apprehend, very frequently ; as well because the 

 pit is usually situated immediately near to the homestead, 

 as that, were he even to tumble into it, he from his 

 climbing powers would in all likelihood be quickly enabled 

 to extricate himself. The Count Corfitz Beckfriis tells 

 us, indeed, that a glutton on one occasion intentionally 

 descended a Varg-grop of his, for the purpose of preying on 

 a wolf that a day or two previously had fallen into and 

 perished in the pit ; and after fearlessly gorging on the 

 carcase, had ascended again without difficulty, in spite of 

 scythes, &c., placed at the edge of the pit. 



A good many gluttons are taken by the common steel- 

 trap, more especially in Lapland. In that country, however, 

 during the winter time at least, the trap is seldom baited, 

 but merely concealed in tracks that the beast is in the habit 

 of pursuing. 



In the northern parts of Scandinavia, particularly in Lap- 

 land, the more general plan of capturing the glutton is in 

 the so-called Jerf-Bas, which in form is rectangular, being 



