142 , REPORT ON THE INTRODUCTION OF 



live and work all summer long. Here the grass is short, but very sweet and good; 

 the cattle thrive, and the milk is of a far better quality than that of the valley. 

 The sheep, too, range in the same district, but usually they penetrate farther into 

 the Vidda and feed on higher, rougher ground. Then comes the interior of the 

 Vidda, a most desolate, wild region, too far for the location of saeters, and where 

 only the reindeer find good pasturage. 



The deer will feed wherever the cattle do. They like the same grasses, and there 

 is no antagonism between the herds, but on the whole the deer prefer the higher 

 ranges, where the moss and lichens and a little alpine plant, called in Norsk " rens- 

 dyblakke" or "reindeer-leaf," grows profusely. 



There are about 3,000 wild reindeer still upon the Vidda. The presence of these 

 wild bands causes some confusion and loss to the owners of the tame animals. Often 

 the tame deer are killed by mistake by hunters, and sometimes members of the tame 

 herd stray away and join the wild deer. When only a few deer are seen at a time 

 it is difficult to discern the difference between the two herds; but if a large herd is 

 seen, one can tell at a glance whether it is tame or wild. The wild deer present a 

 uniformly brown appearance, while in a herd of tame deer there are many whitish 

 or piebald animals. The tame deer all have ear marks, also, but these can be dis- 

 tinguished only at short range. 



The "open season" for hunting the wild deer is now only from August 15 to 

 September 15. There are about 34,000 tame deer in southern Norway. Most of these 

 are scattered throughout the mountains of the Saeterdal district, but about 7,000 

 live on the plateaus of the Viddas and surrounding districts of Hallingdal, Thele- 

 marken, Numedal, and Sogne. 



The deer of these districts are not milked as are those of Finland and Lapland. 

 The profit comes from the sale of meat and skins, and occasionally the horns to tour- 

 ists. Much of the meat is sent to Bergen, Christiana, and Christiansand and 

 exported to France, Holland, aud Germany, and some to England. 



France affords a ready market for the skins, which are much used for gloves, and 

 there is always a home demand for the skins. Winter clothes and sleeping bags are 

 also made from the skins, with the hair left on, and any peasant who hunts or trav- 

 els on the Vidda has his Arctic outfit. Later, when I crossed the entire length of 

 the Vidda, with a guide and pony, I slept at night in an Arctic sleeping bag, and 

 found it most comfortable. 



The farmers who live in the Fjords near usually own a certain amount of saeter or 

 dairy land, but the tracts of land where their reindeer herds feed are taxed annually, 

 according to the district occupied and the size of the herd. 



The herders usually have some little rough shelter, where they stay, but often 

 they are obliged to sleep in the "open." 



The deer are restless creatures and often wander too far from the hut for him to 

 return at night. The herder does not try to keep his flock together as closely as one 

 would do with sheep. If he keeps them within his land, and sees that no strays 

 join the wild herds, he is satisfied. He is aided by a small dog, which is called a 

 reindeer dog, and which tends the sheep also. I saw a good many dogs on and near 

 the Vidda, and they all looked much alike. It seems that a Laplander introduced, 

 some years ago, a true Laplander dog from the North, and from him are descended 

 the Vidda deer dogs. They look much like a small Huskey dog, small, rather short, 

 dark in color, with erect ears, long hair, and wolf-like faces. I do not think the 

 Herdanger an especially good place for the purchase of dogs. There are not enough 

 of them, and the prices would probably be high. I think that Trondjhem, Norway, 

 might be a better place. Though not in Lapland, tbere are herds of deer not far 

 away, and the connection with Tromsoe, where there are many herds, is easily made 

 by steamer. Probably the U. S. consul there could supply desired information. J 

 found that one had to pay about $10 apiece (perhaps $12) in the Herdanger district for 

 reindeer dogs. I see no reason why they would not bear the ocean trip well, and 

 thrive in Alaska. I doubt if the true Eskimo dogs could be trained as deer dogs, 



