2,0 NATURAL HI S TOR Y of NOR WA T. 



Wolves fkins, to appear the more terrible, ; io fays Thorm. Torf. 

 In primis Berferki pellibus Lupinis, ad terrorem hoftibus incu- 

 tiendum, induti, &£ externi ami&i, quoties pugnandum effet, 

 univerfum agmen, ante acei principia prseibant, ut hoftileni 

 infultum propulfarent ac procul dimoverent. Hift. Norv. P. II. 

 L. I. c. v. p. 9. In another place the lame author tells us thefe 

 furr'd lkins were ufed for a coat of armour, becaufe they could 

 not eafily be cut through. 



SECT. IX. 



6ou P e, or * Loffen, which in Norway dialect is called Goupe, is the 

 Leikn. third among this country's hurtful creatures. It is fomething 

 fmaller than a wolf, but as fierce and dangerous : it bites and 

 tears all to pieces that it can mafter. This creature's fkin is of a 

 light grey or white, with dark fpots ; a fingle fkin is fometimes 

 fold for 8, io, or 12 rixdollars, according to the goodnefs : 

 their claws are very fharp and crooked, turning in like a cat's. 

 They are, indeed, of the cat or tyger kind ; their backs bend 

 like them, efpecially when they are in their holes looking for 

 prey among the creatures that pais by ; they throw themfelves 

 at once on their prey/ as foon as in reach. When a Goupe is 

 attacked by a dog, he throws himielf immediately on his back ? 

 in the manner of a cat, and turns up his fore legs, to be the 

 better able to defend himfelf : the dog on this lays hold, and 

 thinks himielf conqueror ; but the Goupe then makes ufe of 

 his fharp claws lb effectually, that he fleas the enemy alive. 



We have in Norway three forts of Goupes ; the Wolf-Goupe, 

 the Fox-Goupe, and the Cat-Goupe ; fb called from their refem- 

 Their proper- blance to thefe ieveral creatures f. They go out like the woif, 

 ties ' excepting that they don't, like him, appear fo publickly in the 



open flat country, but keep more in the woods, and lurk in 

 holes in the earth, which they dig for themfelves, deep and 

 winding ; but they are drove out of them with fire and fmoak. 

 In the day-time they'll lie hid, and fteal upon their prey, as has 

 been already obferv'd, which they can fee at great diftance; for 

 their fight is fharp. 



* The Lynx. The Lupus Cervarius and Lynx of authors. 



-|- The laft has the fineft and moil: precious fkin ; but 'tis fcarce half fo big as the 

 Wolf-Goupe, and is more grey than white, but cover'd with beautiful black fpots, 

 nearly like the panther or tyger. See Shaw's Voyages du Levant, Tom. I. p. 318. a 

 comparifon betwixt the Loffen and leopard. Hr. Gabriel Heiberg, paftor in Nordfiord, 

 and minifter in Gloppen, takes notice, among other obfervations, that according to 

 feveral informations, there is another fort of Loffen, whofe heads are like a Fell, thefe 

 - are called Foil- Goupe, 



They 



