58 



OLAFSEN AND POVELSEN's 



foxes from the holes, they light a fire at the entrance so as to 

 cause the smoak to enter, and suffocate the litter ; but this is 

 not the case with the old ones, who are cunning enough to ap- 

 proach to a corner at which the fire is weakest, and respire 

 without being seen. Hence a hunter is often obliged to remain 

 three or four days about a hole, before he can make the fox 

 appear-; but the inhabitants of all the neighbouring villages 

 make a point of supplying him with victuals ; and if he kill a 

 litter of foxes, he receives a reward of half a rix-dollar. In 

 winter, as many people go in chace of the fox as may please ; 

 but the only recompence they obtain, is the skins of those they 

 may kill, which always sell for a certain price. In some years, 

 the king has granted a premium to such individuals as may bring 

 ten fox skins to the merchants, which is certainly a very good 

 method of effecting the destruction cf those animals. A cir- 

 cumstance which proves the sagacity and cunning of the fox is, 

 that when he is taken by a paw or the tail in the iron traps laid 

 for him in winter amongst the snow, he bites off the part which 

 is held in the trap ; most foxes, however, are taken by the Nujc 

 vomica } which is made into cakes with butter or stale meat, 

 others catch them by a line, to which are affixed several hooks 

 concealed in the centre of a piece of meat, so small that the 

 animals can swallow it. 



MICE. 



There is but a small number of mice in Iceland, and the white 

 mouse of the woods ( Mas syhaticus ) appears to be only a variety 

 of the domestic mouse. The instinct of this little animal in- 

 duces it to collect a quantity of grain for its winter provender; 

 and its magazines may be frequently discovered in the woods 

 and outskirts. We were assured, that these mice undertake 

 long journies, and even cross rivers, on which occasion they have 

 the sagacity to pass the water in a diagonal line: they use 

 pieces of dry cow-dung for rafts, which they load with grain on 

 their return. The number attached to one of these rafts, is 

 from four to ten, and each of them assists in launching it. It 

 is also curious, that they swim on each side, and their faces are 

 opposite, while their tails serve for rudders. These voyages are 

 not always successful, for sometimes their boats sink, when they 

 save themselves by swimming with wonderful ingenuity. These 

 curious circumstances were detailed to us by persons of credit, 

 who had had ocular demonstration of the fact. 



In the western quarter of this country, are the same species 

 of animals and birds as in the south. Seals or sea-dogs are very 

 numerous, and are often killed by the country people, by striking 

 them on the head with sticks, and afterwards cutting their throats j 

 these animals, we ascertained, to have bones in their legs, though 



