WHERE FOUND. 99 



more rapid than in the Wermcland and Dalecarlian forests. 

 Twenty years ago I might wander in those wastes for days 

 or even weeks together, without seeing a single track of these 

 animals ; whereas at the present day, their tracks stale or 

 fresh are quite common. The great increase in their 

 numbers is mainly attributable to M. Falk, who, for years, 

 very strictly preserved a large tract of forest near to his 

 residence, where they grew and multiplied, and subsequently 

 spread themselves throughout the surrounding country. 



According to Ekstrom, the limits of the elk, as relates to 

 Scandinavia, are between 58 and 64 of north latitude. 

 But there are exceptions to this rule ; for he is occasionally 

 to be met with, as well considerably to the southward, as to 

 the northward of the specified boundaries. Indeed, when I 

 was in Tornea, which is in about 66 of latitude, they spoke 

 of an elk that had been killed thereabouts some years pre- 

 viously ; and stragglers are at times shot even still farther to 

 the north. 



Many curious notions were formerly entertained respecting 

 the elk. It was believed, for instance, that his legs had 

 neither knees nor joints ; that when he slept, therefore, he 

 leant against a tree, for the reason that if he once lay down 

 he could not rise again ; that his long upper lip prevented 

 him from browsing in the customary manner, so that when 

 thus occupied, he was constrained to walk backwards ; that 

 he was subject to epileptic fits, and cured himself by open- 

 ing, with his hind-foot, a vein at the back of his ear. 



By the ancient West Gothland laws, the elk, together with 

 the fox, the wolf, the lynx, the bear, &c., was classed as a 

 Skade-djur, or noxious animal ; and a price was not only put 



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