1903.] THE ELK IN NORWAY. 137 
South Trondhjem are mountainous, barren, and thinly populated 
except on the coast and in some inland valleys and fiords, and 
are covered with forests of birch, spruce, and Scotch fir up to an 
elevation of about 2000 feet, wherever the ground is not too rocky 
or swampy for these trees to grow. Above that elevation there 
are fjelds or bare mountainous uplands, the lower slopes and 
sheltered dells in which are more or less clothed with birch, willow, 
mountain-ash, and alder, mixed with stunted firs. There are 
many large lakes and large areas of peat-bog; but these bogs are 
rarely so deep and soft as to be impassable, and even after long 
periods of rain a man can cross them by picking his way. 
The country is divided into so-called farms, most of which con- 
sist of small patches of oats and potatoes, with from 10 to 30 acres 
of meadow-land which is mown for hay, and the produce of which 
is eked out by small ricks which are put up wherever a sledge- 
load of grass can be got together in the forest. A large area of 
forest and mountain is attached to each farm, and there are usually 
one or two sxeters' on the mountain, to which the cows are driven 
for about three months in summer. Though most of these farms 
belong to the occupiers there are some large private properties, 
belonging to timber companies and public institutions, and much 
of the higher fjeld and barren mountain remains in the hands of 
the Government. 
In the wilder and less populated districts the Elk are hardly 
disturbed during eleven months of the year except by the occasional 
attacks of bears and wolves. Though the bear has become rarer 
of late years, the wolf, on the contrary, has appeared in districts 
where it was until recently almost unknown; but at present 
they have confined their attacks rather to the semi-wild rein- 
deer, which are kept in some numbers by the Lapps all along 
the Swedish frontier, from Roros northward, and to the sheep, of 
which every farmer has from 10 to 30. It seems to be doubtful 
whether bears can kill full-grown bull Elk’, but during my last 
hunting-season I found the remains of no less than three Elk calves 
which had been killed by them. 
The favourite food of the Elk in summer consists almost entirely 
of the twigs and leaves of birch, willow, and mountain-ash, and 
in winter of the branches and bark of the same shrubs. Wherever 
there is a grove of mountain-ash, Elk will live almost entirely on 
it so long as they can get it, and in districts where Elk are abun- 
dant the tree is constantly eaten down, so that it seems likely to 
become much scarcer than at present. 
Scotch-fir twigs are also largely consumed during the winter, 
but do not seem to be eaten so long as mountain-ash can be 
easily procured. Though I have never actually seen Elk eating 
grass, | am assured by the native hunters and by Capt. Ferrand 
that they do so in summer to some extent, and also bite off the 
flower-heads of Hpilobiwm and other plants. Water-lily roots, 
1 “Szeter” is the Norsk term for a shieling. 
2 Capt. Ferrand has known a bull Elk beat off the attack of two bears in company. 
