PREPARATIONS FOR THE JOURNEY. 21 



variance with other naturalists, it does not follow 

 that I wish to infer that they are wrong, or that 

 I know more than they do. The habits of birds 

 differ much in different localities ; and it is never 

 fair to condemn a man for stating a fact relative 

 to the habits of any bird or animal because we 

 may not happen to have observed it ourselves. 



I shall commence by making a few remarks 

 on the manner of posting through these northern 

 countries. The roads throughout Sweden are 

 generally excellent hilly, it is true, and rough in 

 many places, owing to the nature of the country, 

 but well looked after by the " landsman," or chief 

 magistrate of each district. A toll-bar is never 

 seen, except occasionally at the entrance of a town. 

 At a distance of about every Swedish mile (6f 

 English), or perhaps 1J mile, is a post-station, 

 the master of which is bound to furnish horses 

 and conveyances for travellers, as well as accom- 

 modation. Diligences run between, many of the 

 principal towns, and in the summer steamers ply 

 through the whole country ; but the posting is all 

 done by the peasants' little horses ; and, if the 

 traveller has no conveyance of his own, he rides in 

 winter on a peasant's sledge at other times, in 

 one of their little carts. The post-master has 

 seldom any horses in his stable ; and " A pair out, 

 quick!" is not the order of the day here. The 



