NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 29 



there by fhips from other places. This J. L. Wolff juftly obferves 

 in his Norrigiallluftr. p. 94; and abundant teftimony confirms it. 

 If they live to the following fpring, it is long ; and when the 

 herbs begin to grow up, we fee them no more. Hardanger, in 

 this diocefe, does not produce, nor will fupport, any rats j and in 

 the diocefe of Aggerfhuus we have obferved, that on the fouth 

 fide of Vormen, a large river which comes from Mios, there are 

 found rats, as in other places; but if they are brought a-crofs the 

 river they won't live : this has often been done, by tranfporting 

 them, with the corn, from the Magazine to the Caftle of Vingers ; 

 in which place the rats have feon after been found dead : and they 

 are never feen alive in thofe fields, i. e. from Odal and Solloer 

 quite to Ofterdalen; the earth, in thefe places, doubtlefs has 

 feme thing mineral in it, from whence exhalations rife, that are 

 unfupportable to thofe creatures f . 



The Moufe, Muus : this little creature we have as well in Mice. 

 houfes as woods ; and feme, according to Olaus Wormius's 

 account, are poifonous ; deftroying, or greatly hurting other 

 creatures by their bite : thefe are found alfe along the water- 

 fide, where they are called Vand-Skiser. 



A very particular fort of Mice, white, with red eyes, are 

 found in the little trading town of Molle in Romfdalen j but we 

 don't, know that it is their native place ; 'tis more probable they 

 may have been brought thither by accident ; an Eaft-India fliip 

 being once obliged to winter there. This is the opinion of Hr. 

 Jon. Ramus, in his Topograph, p. 242. It is here, as in other 

 places, a common faying, that jurl before a fhip is going to be loft, 

 or a houfe to be burnt, all the rats and mice will quit the 

 fame; and it is related here in Bergen, that juft before the great 

 conflagration, in the beginning of the prefent century, which 

 confumed the greateft part of this city, the rats and mice univer- 

 fally w r ere feen to leave the houfes, and retire part to the water, and 

 part, in fhoals, to march over the rocks atSandvigen, to the adjoin- 

 ing Hammers village, to the annoyance of the farmers. Suppofita 

 facli veritate, I could wifh to have a fufficient account or reaferi 

 given me for this by our modern philofephers, who will not 

 believe or receive any thing for a truth, except it can be demon- 

 ftrated ex nexu caufarum ; this, I apprehend, in fuch events, 

 tho' the facls be real, cannot be expected. Certain creatures, we 

 know, are previoufly fenfible, that is, when they have a feeling 

 in their bodies, of the enfuing change of air ; or can denote before- 



* For certain creatures averfion or antipathy againft certain places, fee Plin, Hilt,. 

 Nat. Lib. IX. cap. Iviii. 



Part. II. I hand 



