THE MOOSE. 441 



he would try his hand at caUing, as the moose were numerous in 

 the woods at the back of his clearing, and got in consequence what 

 he expressed as " a most horrid scarin " from a bull-moose. It 

 appears that, somewhat to his surprise, he obtained an answer to his 

 call, and the animal came up in broad daylight. But the man was so 

 taken " aback " that it was not till the close approach of the moose 

 that he fired, which he did without taking good aim, and missed the 

 animal in consequence ; it then furiously attacked him by at once 

 knocking him over. " He said that for some minutes he did not 

 know whether he was on his head or his heels, and that when he 

 came to his senses again he found, no doubt to his great relief, 

 his persecutor gone. He was badly bruised, but by good-luck 

 escaped having his skull fractured by a blow from the fore-leg of 

 the powerful animal." 



The European elk is, or rather was, a native of the wooded 

 wilds of the northern countries of Europe. Lloyd ^ says it was at 

 one time numerous in most parts of Sweden and Norway ; but, 

 owing to the increased population and other causes, the animal 

 was when he wrote only to be met with in particular districts. In 

 Scania, the most southern province of Sweden, where they once 

 abounded, there are none now to be seen. Elk, however, can still 

 be found in Finland, Lithuania, and some parts of Russia, also in 

 the forests of Siberia, and in the neighbourhood of the Altai 

 mountains. During the last half -century they have been steadily 

 on the increase in some places in Norway, owing to the protection 

 afforded them by law, and to their having abandoned the districts 

 where their enemy the wolf abounds for regions where but few of 

 them exist. 



" The elk is a first-rate swimmer," remarks the Rev. M. R. 

 Barnard,^ " and goes ahead through the water with great velocity, 

 making the water hiss and foam again. It is also able to traverse 

 swamps without sinking into the mire. If the ground be very 

 soft it has recourse to an artful expedient. As soon as it begins 

 to feel itself sinking, it sits down on its hams, stretches out its 

 fore-legs, and regularly ' punts ' itself along ; but should it 



^ "Field-Sports of the North of Europe," 1830. 

 6 " Sport in Norway and Where to find it," 1864. 



