Mollusks. 



8171 



could distinctly see the effects of the shot in staggering and knocking them a little out 

 of their course, I only brought down two. My friend then took the gun, and, though 

 an old sportsman, killed none: it must be a wonderfully tough bird. The parrot-beak 

 bird was there in almost the same abundance, associating and swimming about with 

 the razorbill, but they were much more shy. The wild animals of Norway are the 

 lynx, the glutton, wolf, foxes (red, silver and black), the bear, the elk, rein-deer and 

 red deer, ermine, lemming, otter, beaver (?), Sec. The lynx is somewhat rare, and 

 inhabits, I believe, the extreme North. The glutton is not often seen. The wolf is 

 commoner, and much sought for on account of its valuable fur, which is sold to the 

 Russian traders. The following way of capturing them is somewhat amusing: — 

 In the winter they sometimes tie a young pig to the back of their sledge, and then set 

 off across the snow at full gallop ; the pig begins to squeal, and the wolves rush out 

 and are easily shot down. But the most tempting bait for these animals is a dog: for 

 dog's flesh they have an irresistible desire, and have been known to snatch a clog from 

 between the knees of travellers when driving in their carrioles. Silver and black foxes 

 are rare, and their skins very valuable ; the latter is, I believe, chiefly found in the 

 Levfodens. The Norwegian bear is a small animal ; he never hugs, but kills his 

 enemy by ripping him up with one stroke of his paw : the most vital part is a few 

 inches behind the fore shoulder ; some sportsmen, however, aim at the neck, to break 

 the vertebras I suppose. The elk is rare, and found in a rather limited area. The red 

 deer is also uncommon ; it inhabits the islands of the west coast. The rein-deer, 

 though shy and difficult of approach, abounds in the mountains in the south part of 

 Norway ; in the north they are tame. Ermines are comparatively abundant in the 

 Leyfodens. Lemmings only appear at definite intervals, and then in the most pro- 

 digious abundance, swarming in every field. Otters are rare and expensive. Beavers 

 it is thought are extinct, except in one part of Norway, where a gentleman has care- 

 fully preserved them on his property. Ptarmigans are prodigiously abundant in some 

 parts ; blackcock and capercally are moderately so." I sincerely hope that the inser- 

 tion of these notes will stimulate tourists to make the valuable acquisition of a note- 

 book to theiv kit, and communicate their researches to the ' Zoologist.' Funds of inte- 

 resting and hitherto-undiscovered facts relative to the habits, retreats, &c, of objects 

 of Natural History, would thus be permanently recorded, and preseut to the future 

 tourist a chart not to be despised. — S. P. Saville ; Dover [louse, Cambridge, August 

 14, 1862. 



Unnoticed Character in Succinea Pfeifferi. — Will you allow me to add a post- 

 script to my query about Succinea Pfeifferi (Zool. 8138) ? After dissecting and exa- 

 mining many specimens under a microscope, I have found that what I must, for 

 want of a better name, call the "upper jaw" (though it seems to be jaw and palate 

 combined), is, in S. putris, divided into three teeth, one large projection in the centre 

 and two small ones, one on each side; whereas in S. Pfeifferi there is only one tooth- 

 like projection in the centre of the jaw. I have found this to be invariable in very 

 many specimens of both kinds that I have examined this summer; and the fact goes 

 far to convince me that S. putris and S. Pfeifferi are more distantly connected than 

 some conchologists seem to think. I send you a drawing of each, which will show you 

 my meaning more clearly than words can. They are two out of many I have done 

 under a camera lucida. —Bruce Hutton ; Aldershoii, August 7, 1862. 



