NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



SECT. II. 



The Norway oxen and cows are in general of a yellow colour, 

 as the horfes ; they are fmall, but like the Danilh in their make. 

 Mr. John Anderfon, in his Defcription of Ifland xxvii. afcribes 

 this littlenefs to the extreme cold and denfe air, in thofe countries 

 towards the north pole ; which he thinks, altho' it does not 

 hinder the filh from growing to the largeft fize, may hinder the 

 parts of land animals from dilating themfelves, as in milder 

 and lighter air. For this reafon, in the hotteft climates are found 

 the largeft beafts ; as elephants, rhinoceros, dromedaries, camels, 

 &c. but I don't know that this reafon has any force here: of this 

 I {hall not determine, but of a certainty it is not applicable to 

 all beafts ; for the elk and ftag, I believe, are hardly any where 

 larger. Not to mention the people, who, as to the principles of 

 animal life, would certainly be fubjeft to the lame accidents. In 

 that it does not hold, for the men of Norway yield to thofe of no 

 other. nation for bodily growth and ftrength of limbs % . On the 

 other hand we will agree with the curious author in his Account 

 of Greenland jj.xxxvi. wherein he obferves, on this head, the pe- 

 culiar providence of the Creator : for in the coldeft climates the 

 beafts are generally fuller of blood, and their fat grows on the 

 outer parts, that is, betwixt the flefh and the fkin, for their 

 greater warmth. On this head I fhall add an obfervation of my 

 own, confirmed by others that I have coniulted about it * which 

 is, that the white membrane, which lies acrofs the loins of our 

 cattle, is much thicker and larger than elfewhere ; and, without 

 doubt, this is intended to keep in the natural heat. 



In our Norway cows is found very little tallow; and the moft 

 of that which is tranfported is goats, as fhall be Ihewn hereafter. 

 The meat, after good graving, towards the winter is fufficiently 

 fat, and very tender and delicate \ fine grained, juicy, and 



* If what this author advances had foundation in nature, then the beafts in the 

 parilh or diftricT: of Tronheim, which is much farther north, mould be fmaller than 

 in the parifh of Bergen ; but this is found quite the contrary, for they vifibly exceed 

 them, the tame, as well as the wild ; and alfo the birds. On the many fmall iflands 

 on the weftern coaft of Norway, I muft obferve there are yearly bred many oxen 

 much larger than thofe on the continent, and fome alrnoft as big as the Danilh ; but 

 perhaps that may proceed from the very fine pafture they have, and the liberty they 

 enjoy ; for they run wild there, and when they want them againft the feafon of 

 flaughtering, they either moot them, or lay fnares to catch them. Thefe cattle are 

 commonly joined by, what they call Udgangfvadre, or Rams, (which are kept there 

 as guides to the other cattle that are put there) they become old and ftrong on the 

 fpot, and generally herd with the cattle -, and in the winter they help them to fcrape 

 away the fnow and clear the grafs : but as they have the command, they don't fuffer 

 the other cattle to feed, till they have pretty well fatisfied themfelves. 



well- 



