Foxes. 
BEARS. 
SEALS. 
pS Chel op rs Dee BP eee Tite 
berries are but thinly difperfed, thefe little animals are obliged to crofs rivers to make 
their diftant forages, In their return with the booty to their magazines, they are 
obliged to repafs the ftream ; of which Mr. Olaffen gives the following account :— 
‘¢ The party, which confifts of from fix to ten, felect a flat piece of dried cow-dung, 
on which they place the berries ina heap in the middle; then, by their united force, 
bring it to the water’s edge, and after Jaunching it, embark, and place themfelves 
round the heap, with their heads joined over it, and their backs to the water, their 
tails pendent in the ftream, ferving the purpofe of rudders *.”” When I confider the 
wonderful fagacity of Beavers, and think of the management of the Squirrel, 
which, in cafes of fimilar necefity, make a piece of bark their boat, and tail their. 
fail +, I no longer hefitate to credit the relation. i 
The Common Fox, 4ré. Zool. N° 11, and the Arctic, N° 10, are frequent ;; 
are profcribed, and killed for the fake of a reward, in order. to prevent the 
havock they would make among the fheep. 
‘The Polar Bear, N° 18, is often tranfported from Greenland, on the iflands of 
ice ; but no fooner is its landing difcovered, than a general alarm is fpread, and’ 
purfuit made till it is deftroyed. The Icelanders are very intrepid in their attack 
on this animal ; anda fingle man, armed only with a fpear, frequently enters the 
lifts with this tremendous beaft, and never fails of victory. A perfon who lived’ 
near Langene/i, the extreme northern point, where the Bears moft frequently land, 
is ftill celebrated for having flain not fewer than twenty in fingle combat. There 
is a reward for every fkin, which muft be delivered to the next magiftrate. 
The Common Bat, p. 185, A. is fometimes found in this ifland, and finifhes the 
lift of the land-animals of the country. 
The amphibious quadrupeds, or Seals, are very numerous. Iceland, being 
blefied with domeftic animals, has lefs ufe of this race than other Aric coun-- 
tries ; yet they are of confiderable advantage. The fkins are ufed for cloathing ; 
a good one is equal in value to the fkin of a fheep, or the hide of a cow; and 
the fat fupplies the lamps in the Jong nights with oil. The Common, during 
winter, is exceffively fat, and will yield fixty pounds. 
The Icelanders have two fpecies of native Seals: the Common, Ne 72, called 
by them Land Szlur, becaufe it keeps near the coaft; the other, the Great, 
N° 73, or Ut-Szlur. They are taken in nets placed in the creeks and narrow 
bays, which they pafs through to get on fhore. When it begins to grow dark 
the hunters make a fire, and fling into it the fhavings of horns, or any thing tlrat 
fmells ftrong ; this allures the Seals, who ftrike into the nets, and are taken.. 
* Olaffen, as related to him. + Linnaeus, Klein, Rracxinfhi, Scheffer. 
