NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. z 7 



unlike a boar's tufk ; 'tis of a tawny or yellow colour : with 

 this, as with a fmall ax, the Beaver fells any kind of trees, and 

 prepares the wood for the jokes ; he fits all together, and then 

 lays them, or fixes them over one another, fo that they wont 

 eafily fall. After this, to tranfport thefe building materials to 

 the fpot, he ufes a moft furprifing addrefs, as I am affur'd by 

 many who have been witnefs : It is this. A number are 

 employed on this work together ; and one will fuffer himfelf to 

 be ufed as a cart, which the others., like horfes, take hold of, 

 fattening on him by the neck, and dragging him along ; for this pur- 

 pofe he firft throws himfelf on his back, with his legs up, between 

 which they lay their already fitted and prepared timber ; and in 

 that manner bring it to the fpot where the building is to be 

 ere&ed, one load after the other * ; but this always cofts the firft 

 a bare back, for it takes all the hair off; which hair and caftoreum 

 are the two valuable things found on this creature. The hair or 

 fur, it is well known, is ufed for the fineft hats, as well as for 

 a very light and foft fort of cloth. 



SECT. XVI. 



The Otter, Odder, a well-known creature, which not a little °^ r » ! 

 refembles the beaver, and lives upon all forts of fiih : they are 

 found in Norway, both in fait and frefh waters ; they live in 

 holes betvyixt the rocks ; from whence the huntfman decoys them, 

 by imitating the voice of their mates. They are very nice, and 

 will only eat the fatteft filh : the eagle and crow wait upon the 

 Otter to take his leavings ; unlefs it be a young Otter, and then 

 the eagle drives him away from his prey. Thefe creatures, when 

 young, may be tamed and ufed to a houfe, by feeding them with 

 milk, and they will become daily filters for their matter; they'll 

 go out on command, and bring in one fifli after the other to the 

 kitchen. This a very creditable man in this neighbourhood has 



* Something of this kind is related of the known Maramots, Marmotisor Murmer- 

 dyr, in afpeft fomething like a cat. The learned cardinal Polignac afcribes, perhaps, 

 too much to them, in his Antilucretios, Lib. VI. lately publifhed, wherein he relates 

 that m a civil war betwixt them, the conquered prifoners, after a jure belli are 

 fentenced to be flaves to the conqueror; and particularly to be ufed for wa^, to 



■Protinus ad mefTem ducunt fervata ferendam 



Mancipia, inverfifque folum premere atque fupfois 



Corponbus, turn crura jubent attollere furfum 



Quatuor ereclis perftent, ut gramina palis ' 



Inde onerant caudaque trahunt animantia plauftrav 1 



Erafoque vias mifeyorum tergore verrunt,, 



tried, 



