PREPARATIONS FOR THE JOURNEY. 21 



variance with other naturalists, it does not follow 

 that I wish to infer that they are wrong, or that 

 I know more than they do. The habits of birds 

 differ much in different localities ; and it is never 

 fair to condemn a man for stating a fact relative 

 to the habits of any bird or animal because we 

 may not happen to have observed it ourselves. 



I shall commence by making a few remarks 

 on the manner of posting through these northern 

 countries. The roads throughout Sweden are 

 generally excellent — hilly, it is true, and rough in 

 many places, owing to the nature of the country, 

 but well looked after by the " landsman," or chief 

 magistrate of each district. A toll-bar is never 

 seen, except occasionally at the entrance of a town. 

 At a distance of about every Swedish mile (6f 

 English), or perhaps 1J mile, is a post-station, 

 the master of which is bound to furnish horses 

 and conveyances for travellers, as well as accom- 

 modation. Diligences run between many of the 

 principal towns, and in the summer steamers ply 

 through the whole country ; but the posting is all 

 done by the peasants' little horses ; and, if the 

 traveller has no conveyance of his own, he rides in 

 winter on a peasant's sledge — at other times, in 

 one of their little carts. The post-master has 

 seldom any horses in his stable ; and " A pair out, 

 quick!" is not the order of the day here. The 



