PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 6 



northern districts ; and the marten cat, the fox , 

 and the squirrel, besides many species of bats and 

 field-mice, abound in every part of the country. 

 Unfortunately, the beaver is now nearly extinct, 

 and almost the only memento we meet with here 

 at the present day of this interesting animal (which 

 was once so common in the north of Europe) is 

 an occasional deserted beaver dam, in one or other 

 of the wildest and most secluded northern forests. 



It is on account of this country presenting so 

 wide and varied a surface, that we find so mani- 

 fest a difference in its fauna, and this is still 

 further supported when we consider the nature of 

 the lands — open downs, deep forests, sandy flats, 

 cultivated fields, meadow, marsh, and morass, and 

 in the very north, snow-covered fells. These last 

 must exercise a great influence on the fauna of 

 the north, for every species of animal must have 

 its well-defined limit from the region of per- 

 petual snow. Messon, with his usual acumen, 

 divides Scandinavia into separate regions for 

 different animals and plants. 



Beginning from the very tops of the fells, and 

 following, by degrees, in a southerly direction, the 

 tracks that he below them, we shall find that cer- 

 tain species of animals, as well as of plants, are 

 only to be met with on the highest fells, amongst 

 perpetual snow-drifts ; and also that other species 



