NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



SECT. V. 



Wild beafts ferviceable to mankind for food or cloathing, and Deer. 

 thofe intended for his punifhment by rapine, are found alio native 

 in Norway. And flrft I fhall {peak of the common Deer, which 

 live in (Ofterlandet) the eaft country, only on the weft fide towards 

 the iea. In the diocefe of Bergen and Tronheim, where they 

 formerly were frequent, they are of late years much fcarcer ; 

 for the wolves have almoft entirely deftroyed them in Oplandene; 

 and have now, for about thirty years, crofled the File- Field, a 

 vaft mountain, and annually devour numbers ; and we frequently 

 find the ikeletons welUpick'd in the open fields. There are, , 

 however, fome ftill both on the iflands and on the continent. The 

 fine Adel-Hiorte, or Red-deer, is as large as a middle-fized horfe, 

 with considerable large horns. The farmers fhoot them in 

 winter, being the beft time to keep them, and carry them to 

 town ; and if they have no opportunity, they hide them under 

 the fnow # , and live upon them themielves, and have a good 

 price for the hide and horns. Sometimes it happens that the 

 harts and hinds, in little herds, fwim over pretty broad waters, 

 betwixt the continent and the iflands j to accompliih which, 

 they very orderly help one another, by refting their heads on 

 each others rumps ; and when the foremoft is tired he retreats 

 to the laft, leaving the next to him foremoft. Raadyr f are 

 only found in Borgefyflel and Nummedale. 



Hares are frequent in Norway, and are very cheap in winter. 

 They are fmaller than in Denmark, and change colour, in the 

 cold feafon, from brown or grey, to fnow white. 



In the woods they catch mice like cats, and purfue them under 

 the fnow ; they otherwife in neceffity live upon the birch catkins. 

 Rabbits, which are of the hare kind, are found but in very few- 

 places j we have them white and grey. 



SECT. VL 



Elfdyr, Elkdeer, which are alfo called Elling||, are feen inmk. 

 the parifh of Fiorden, viz. at Ringerige and Romerige, but not 



* Sometimes they make ufe of fubterraneous caverns to this purpofe, where the 

 cold is excefiive ; particularly the Hardangufke Poachers make ufe of a cave in the 

 parifh of Odde, near Sandvend-houfe, which anfwers to its name Kold-Hull, for 

 nobody can go in, in the hotteft fummers day, ioo fteps, before their breath is 

 taken away, and they muft inftantly return. This is a fine place to keep the game 

 or venifon a long while. 



j Rodiur of the Swedes ; the Roe-buck, The Capra, ■ Capreolus, and Dorcas of 

 authors. 



II i£lg of the Swedes ; the Elk. Alee of authors. 



Part. II, D in 



