ON THE MAMMALIA OF THIS DISTEICT. 181 



borealis. I think I never saw so splendid a sky 

 before. Although disappointed, we were gratified 

 with the reflection that we knew where to look for 

 the elk when we wanted them. 



The next was a bye- day, and I took a stroll 

 in the forest with one of the watchers. It was, 

 perhaps, just then the very dullest of all seasons 

 for a forest ramble in the north. All the summer 

 migrants had left, the winter ones had hardly yet 

 come down, and not a single song-bird was heard. 

 Save the loud wild laugh of the great black wood- 

 pecker, the shrill chirp of the crested tit, the 

 chattering of the crossbills, flitting from tree to 

 tree in search of fir cones, or the heavy measured 

 fall of the distant woodman's axe, scarce a sound 

 broke the solemn silence that reigned over all. 

 No woodland scene that I have witnessed can 

 equal the melancholy gloom of a northern forest 

 late in autumn, increased as it is by the damp aguish 

 appearance of the whole landscape at this season. 



I picked up a blackcock and a hare, and at 

 night went out leistering for pike before the moon 

 rose. We had fairish sport, and in about two 

 hours I got 35 lb. weight, but nothing large. It 

 is always a mystery to me where the big fish get 

 to in these waters. It is very rarely that ever we 

 kill a 14 lb. fish ; and a pike of 10 lb. I consider a 

 large fish up in Wermland. 



