84 SPOKT IN NORWAY. 



occasionally be met with in the forests in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Eidsvold. The Nordmarken forests used 

 formerly to be great strongholds for feathered game ; 

 but proximity to the capital, in a country too where 

 the game-laws cannot be strictly enforced, has of late 

 years considerably deteriorated them. Eyper are not 

 found in this Amt. 



Fair woodcock-shooting may be had in the spring 

 near Eidsvold, and in the autumn the Yormen swarms 

 with ducks. 



Excellent snipe-shooting may be had on some small 

 islands at the northern end of the Oyeren lake. They 

 are mostly the solitary snipe. I have heard of a,s 

 many as forty couple being killed in the day. Of late 

 the peasants have become rather tenacious, and the 

 stranger may get warned off". They shoot themselves 

 now-a-days (a few years back and they would never 

 have dreamed of letting fly at a bird on the wing), and 

 have rather a good plan for beating the ground. Two 

 persons take hold of a long and heavy rope, one at 

 either end, and let it drag on the ground. The shooter 

 walks in the middle. 



The end of July and beginning of August is the best 

 time, just before they commence mowing. The route 

 to the Oyeren is by rail to Lille Strommen, and thence 

 by boat for about ten miles down the river. It is easy 

 to get back to Christiania the same evening. 



