Quadrupeds. 3223 



having rolled over and over in the beautiful web so as to render himself quite helpless. 

 After I had cleared him from his entanglement, the bee commenced rubbing his face, 

 and showing signs of gratitude for his deliverance ; and though I pulled him about 

 very roughly, although the most irascible of the genus, he never once attempted to 

 sting me, and when recovered he flew away, taking a long look at his deliverer. The 

 manner in which this spider's web was placed, with the flower for a decoy, was beauti- 

 ful, and the exquisite fineness of its texture, made to avoid observation, quite wonder- 

 ful. I laid hold of the spider, but he escaped out of my hands into the long grass in 

 the shape of a small round ball. — H. W. Newman; July 15, 1851. 



Notes on Observations in Natural History during a Tour in Norway. 

 By the Rev. Alfred Charles Smith, M.A. 



(Continued from page 3193). 



The Elk [Cervus Alces) is a most ungainly-looking animal. Long- 

 legged, very high-shouldered, large-footed, with a neck very short and 

 a head very large, and its upper lip projecting and very thick, it is the 

 most awkward creature imaginable, and seems scarcely to belong to 

 the usually elegant and light family of which it forms a part. In size 

 it exceeds a horse, sometimes reaching as much as seven feet in height. 

 Its horns, though not long, are very thick, flat, and heavy ; indeed the 

 animal must require its thick short neck, and strong, ugly, large head, 

 to support so ponderous a weight. A pair which I brought home with 

 me were enormously heavy ; and with these broad palmated horns the 

 elk throws back the snow in searching for food. This animal is by no 

 means numerous in Norway, and a few years since seemed likely to 

 be exterminated ; but the government, anxious to preserve so noble a 

 species of game, passed some very stringent laws for its preservation, 

 imposing a very heavy fine on those who should violate them ; and 

 since that time it has increased considerably in number. The forests 

 of the Glommen are said to be peculiarly favoured by their presence ; 

 and I can bear witness to the truth of this, from the number of heads 

 I saw nailed up over the farm-houses in this district : it being a regu- 

 lar custom in Norway for the successful sportsman to nail up over the 

 door of his dwelling-house such trophies of the chase as he may have 

 gained in hunting, just as game-keepers in England nail stoats, wea- 

 sels, hawks, owls, jays, &c, to the barn which forms their museum. 

 In the Fille-fjeld and in Romsdal, the skulls of bears grinned in a 

 ghastly manner from many a bonder's house, bearing evident proof 

 that there bears abounded : in other parts, the heads and antlers of 



