i8 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



This did not take place until the postman arrived from 

 Christiania, which was not till nine o'clock at night. 



Our quarters here were good, but the country is not 

 good for birds, the hills rising almost perpendicularly on 

 all sides, and there is very little wood of any kind. 

 Altogether we liked Loerdalsoren less than any place we 

 have yet visited in Norway. The charges are higher 

 than most, besides which it is infested with a sort of 

 English-tourist touting society of roughs, who are quite 

 delighted to do you if they can, even in only the small 

 sum of four skillings. These are mostly porters, who 

 crowded round us on our arrival at the inn. 



As there really were no birds, or places likely for birds, 

 we waited as patiently as we could. We left Loerdal at 

 four o'clock, the night journey depriving us of the sight of 

 the fine scenery of the fjord. Here we left the Keindeer 

 heads in charge of the innkeeper, to be sent to Christiania. 



This day we saw Common Gulls at the mouth of the 

 river. 



May 20. 



We arrived at Gudvangen about one o'clock in the 

 morning of Saturday, the 20th of May, and turned in 

 for forty winks. 



At 9 a.m. we started for Vossevangen, 28 English 

 miles, carioling up a magnificent glen, the Naerodal 

 (Narrow Glen), a most magnificent gorge, finer, if 

 possible, than the Loerdal, though on a much narrower 

 scale. The mountains which closed it in rose in some 

 places almost perpendicularly to the height of 3,000 feet. 

 At one part of the valley two immense mountains rose 

 opposite each other and towered far above the others. A 

 beautiful river ran along the valley, which had its slopes 

 well wooded to a considerable height above the stream 

 with alder and birch, suggestive of Fieldfares breeding 

 later in the season. We saw several old nests along the 



