116 SPORT IN NORWAY. 



rank among the animals of bygone days. In fact, 

 between the years 1810 and 1830 there were only about 

 three places where they were to be found, namely, in some 

 parts of the province of Throndhjem and in Oster- 

 dalen. 



Fortunately, government now stepped in, and in 

 1818 passed a law .that not a single elk should be 

 killed for the next twenty years. In 1845 this strin- 

 gent but necessary enactment was again modified, and 

 now the law stands as follows : that " elks can only 

 be killed between August 1st and November 1st, and 

 then only one on each separate property, under a 

 penalty of forty dollars." This law is, however, fre- 

 quently broken. For the penalty is so laid that half 

 goes to the informer, half to the poor-box of the district 

 in which the elk is shot. Thus if A. shoots an elk 

 at an unlawful time, his brother B. has nothing to do 

 but cut off to the nearest Foged, or magistrate, and lay 

 an information against him, and recover half the fine ; 

 and as the flesh and hide, &c. are quite worth that sum, 

 the poacher is not a loser, and has the fun into the 

 bargain. The penalty is to be raised shortly, and several 

 alterations, in fact, are to be made in the game laws * of 

 Norway. 



As may be imagined, it could be no very difficult 

 thing to eradicate animals of such size from the face 

 * These will be found at the end of the chapter. 



