NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 25 



faced, and many thoroughly line them with it. The Norway 

 ermin keeps its colour better than any ; it does not grow fo 

 yellow as the Mufcovy ; for which reafon it is preferred even at 

 Petersburgh. When king Chriflian I. made his pilgrimage to 

 Rome, he had a mind to make the pope a handfome prefent of 

 the produce of his country ; amongft which were feveral Ermin 

 skins, very excellent. 



Ermins run after mice like cats ; they drag away what they 

 catch, particularly egg^j which are their niceft delicacy : for this 

 reafon, it is frequent, in calm weather, to fee the Ermins along 

 the fhore, fwimming to the fmall lflands, where the water-fowls 

 eggs are found in great quantities. I have been informed as a 

 certain truth, by thofe that have ken it, that when they have 

 their young on any of thefe iflands, they'll bring them afhore 

 to the Continent on a piece of chip, or little bit of wood, the 

 mother fwimming behind, and with her fnout pufhing it back- 

 wards and forwards, to get it along. So fmall as this creature 

 is, it is capable fometimes to deftroy the largeft bead, as the elk 

 or bear. It does it in this manner : when the creature is afleep 

 the Ermin will creep into his ear, and lay hold with his fharp 

 teeth fo very faft, that he can't flip ; upon which, the large ani- 

 mal begins to run about, and roars, till he has exhaufted him- 

 felf : at length, being wearied out, he becomes faint, drops, lan- 

 guishes, and dies. In the fame manner he'll Ileal himfelf upon 

 a ileeping (Orn) Eagle and Tiur Fugl, and will let this bird fly 

 away with him upon its back ; but he continues gnawing, till, by 

 the great effufion of blood, the bird drops down dead on the 

 ground, They are (hot with blunt arrows, and catch'd in traps, 

 or elfe betwixt two flat ftones ; one of which is fet up with a 

 pin, but drops when the thread is pull'd to which the bait is 

 faflened, and fo fqueezes him dead *. 



It is faid that this creature is fo cleanly and nice about its white 

 hair, that he would rather go through the fire than through the 

 lead mud and dirt. I queftion whether any body has feen him 

 under the neceffity to declare which he would do ; yet where- 

 ever he goes with his cleanlinefs, he ftinks as bad as the pole- 

 cat. This is efpecially obfervable of the Ermins when they pair 

 themfelves, which often happens ; for both fexes are very lafci- 

 yious. 



* It is faid that noife and fhrieking, which puts other wild beafts to Eight, makes the 

 Ermin Hand ftill ; and afterwards, as long as it lafts, he will fhift about, here and 

 there, but cannot get far. ■ This, if true, is a great advantage to the huntfman. 



Two ounces of Ermin's blood, drank warm, is a pretty certain remedy for an 

 epilepfy, or falling ficknefs, efpecially if it be old. Relata refero. 



Part II. H SECT. 



