SCANDINAVIA 299 



of sport and to obtainino- local information respecting- it. It must 

 always be remembered that in many localities in Northern Norway, 

 eider-ducks, so valuable for their down, which is collected from the 

 nests, are strictly preserved, and that there is a heavy fine for killing 

 them. 



It may appear strano-e that so small a portion of this paper is 



devoted to the angling for which Norway is famous. But the fact 



is that nowadays the statistics of it may be well de- 

 Fishing, 

 scribed by the phrase "cut and dried." In the third 



decade of the nineteenth century Englishmen were first attracted 

 to Norway by vague rumours of the wonderful sport which might 

 be had there with the rod ; they came, they saw, they conquered, and 

 from that day to this Englishmen have never relaxed their iron grip 

 of Norwegian fishings. Out of about three score first and second 

 rate salmon rivers situated between lat. 58^ and jo^, from Christian- 

 sand on the south coast to Pasvig on the V'aranger fjord, two-thirds 

 are permanently held by Englishmen, and the remainder are chiefiy 

 in the hands of companies or private owners who let to Englishmen 

 by the season. Very few are retained by Norwegians for their own 

 fishing. There are in addition a considerable number of inferior 

 streams, yielding for a short and uncertain period fair sport with sea- 

 trout, some grilse, and occasional salmon. Many of these have also 

 been taken up by local companies, who dub them salmon rivers and 

 demand high rents. When they succeed in enticing a tenant, he is 

 sure to be an Englishman. 



It will be understood, therefore, that a visitor to Norway has little 



