THE ELK IN NORWAY. 117 



of any country. Mr. Asbjornsen instances a case in 

 point, where the elk was formerly numerous, and is 

 now non inventus. And that is in the Aland Isles, 

 where, " during the Finnish war, they were so plentiful 

 that the army was provisioned with elk venison instead 

 of beef." 



During the last twenty years, however, elk-deer have 

 been steadily on the increase, not only owing to the 

 protection afforded them by the law, but because they 

 have abandoned the more northerly and easterly dis- 

 tricts for quarters where the wolf has not been in such 

 large numbers. And though many have been, espe- 

 cially during the last few winters, shot at unlawful 

 times, yet the indignation that was then evinced, and 

 the publicity that was given to the cases, have done 

 a good deal towards stopping this poaching. 



A few years ago, elk were numerous in the Trysil 

 forests, which adjoin Sweden. But so were the wolves ; 

 and these committed such havoc amongst them as to 

 drive them more to the westward. 



Besides Namdal, and some other places in Throndh- 

 jem Stift (diocese), elk-deer may almost always be 

 found throughout Osterdal, in Solors, on the borders 

 of Sweden, in the valley of the Glommen, Odal, Vingers, 

 and in some of the forests of Romerige and Smaale- 

 nene. 



They are not unfrequently seen in the forests near 



