THE BEAVER IN NORWAY 245 
and by 1800 had already disappeared from most parts of 
the country, with the exception of the northern districts 
of Finmark and Nordland, and the southern province of 
Nedenas, or Christiansand. The work of extermination 
went on more or less rapidly till the year 1845, when it 
was somewhat checked by the enactment of protective 
statutes; but either these could not have worked very 
effectually, or the war of extermination had been only too 
well carried out, for in 1880 the number of individuals 
surviving throughout the country was estimated at only 
about three score. Three years later the number of head 
was put down roughly at a hundred, and since that date 
it is probable that the number has been fully maintained, 
if, indeed, it has not actually increased. 
The statutes which have been enacted for the preserva- 
tion of the beaver in Norway are not, for the most part, 
of a very effectual nature, and have a decidedly feudatory 
smack. The statute of 1845 provided that no beavers at 
all should be killed for ten years, and then only by the 
proprietors of the estates on which they were found. This 
was admirable so far as it went, but as from the beginning 
of 1856 proprietors were again allowed to kill, without 
either restriction as to time or number, it is obvious that 
the good results of the first enactment might very well 
have been speedily lost. Probably this was found to be 
the case, as in 1863 a fresh statute was propounded, 
establishing a close time and fixing a limitation in number. 
According to this statute, beavers were only allowed to 
be killed during the months of August, September, and 
October, and then only by owners of estates, who were 
permitted to kill but one individual annually on each 
separate estate. 
Special exemptions might, however, be granted by the 
