Of all the Beasts in Lapland the Bear is chief: him saies Sam. Rheen, they stile King Of the Woods, and gives this reason, because in strength and fierceness he exceeds all the rest. They are very numerous, some fiercer than others, especially those which are mark’t with a white wreath about their necks, many of which are found in the North. These annoy the Inhabitants Cattel, and overturn their Stores; which they fix on the top of a Tree, to preserve their flesh and fish, and all that concerns provision: but in one night the Bear destroys all the food they have laid up.

Next the Bear the Elk is remarkable, which Olaus calls the wild Asse, Scaliger confounds it with the Rain-deer, for he saies, tho it had Asses hair, it was called by the Swedes, Ranger, by the Goths, Rangifer, by the Germans, Ellend, by the Moscovites, Lozzi, and some Books say that in Norway they were named Rehen: what Books he means I am ignorant, but I am sure the Elks, which the Germans call Ellend, were never called Rehen, but Ælg, or Ælgar, which is now the common name through all the North; neither can I think otherwise of the Moscovites Lozzi, for it is the same with the Lithuanian Losso, as Herbestenius observes. That which the Lithuanians call Loss, the Germans call Ellend, and many in Latin Alce. So that Loss, Lozzi, Ælg, Ellend is the same Beast, but quite different from the Rain-deer, contrary to what Scaliger thought. For first it excells the Rain-deers in bulk not a little, being as high as any Horse; its horns are shorter, but above two palms in breadth, shooting out a few, tho not many young sprouts. His leggs are not round, but long, especially the foremost: he engages very smartly, and his sharp hoofs enable him to encounter all Men and Dogs that oppose. He hath a long head, and huge thick lips alwaies hanging down; his color is not so white, but all over his body it inclines to a dark yellow mixt with ashen: when he walks he makes no noise with his hoofs as all Rain-deers do; whoever sees both Beasts (as I have often) will perceive such difference, that he will wonder how any one should mistake. There is no great breed of these in Lapland, but they have them from other places, especially Lithuania. Charles the ninth, by a public Proclamation claimed all the skins of those that were killed for his Exchequer, as I mentioned in another place. Olaus saies that they continue altogether in the South of Lapland, and are taken most frequently by running them down, or hunting; in other places they are rarely found: but it is manifest that twice a year they swim in great Herds out of Carelia, over the River Niva, to wit, in the Spring to go into Carelia, and in Autumn to return into Russia. Some few Stags have bin seen in Lapland. S. Rheen mentioning the chief Beasts which have bin found there, reckons severall species of four footed Beasts, as wild Rain-deers, Bears, Stags, Wolves, Gluttons, Beavers, Otters, Martins, Squirrels; but these Stags are but few and little, such as they call Damacervi, or Platicerotes, which since they have nothing peculiar from those in other nations, let it suffice that they are named. To these I may add wild Rain-deers, but because they differ from the tame ones only in bulk, being bigger, and in color somewhat blacker, I will likewise pass them over. Sam. Rheen after the Stags mentions Wolves, of which there is a great number, distinguisht from those in other Countries only by their color, something whiter, whence they are often called white Wolves: their hair is thicker, longer and rougher. These most of all molest the Rain-deers, which are armed against them with their horn.

I find in some Papers of Euræus that the Wolves did never assault the Rain-deer if it was bound to a stake: the reason may be because he fears some trap when he sees the rope that binds the Raindeer: for the Wolf is a very suspicious creature, and thinks every thing he sees to be a snare to catch him. Besides he may suspect that men lie hidden to kill him, whereas the Rain-deers are only bound for the better conveniency of milking them. Nevertheless, the Wolves venture not only on Beasts, but on Men and Women, especially those that are big with child. Travellers are forced to go armed, particularly Women near their time, for the Wolves take their scent and watch more greedily for them, therefore no Woman is permitted to travel without a guide assisting her. The next are the Gluttons, which are frequent here, they have a round head, strong and sharp teeth, like a Wolfs, a plump body, and feet shorter than the Otters: their skin is of a very dark color, some of them resemble Sables, only they have softer and finer haire; this Beast lives not altogether on Land, but many times in the Water, like the Otter, tho much bigger and stronger: some compare it to the Otter, but it is far greedier than he, for thence it gets its name. For Olaus tells us that it is called by the Swedes, Jerff, by the Germans, Wildfras: but this German name doth not denote the Beast to eat much, but to devour what it finds in the Woods, for wild signifies any thing in the Woods; wherefore either Scaliger did not understand the word, or else the Printer did not follow his copy: which appears more plainely, from that the Gulo doth not only infest wild Beasts, but tame (as hath bin often known in Swedland) and Water creatures too, being it self accustomed to the Waters.

There are abundance of Beavers in Lapland, because the Nation abounds with plenty of Fish, whence they have store of food: Olaus thinks that the plenty of them proceeds from the quietness of the Waters, which are never troubled with Ships, as the Rhine and Danow are. I add nothing of these because they are not distinguish’d from the vulgar sort, neither are the Otters. Next to these Sam. Rheen speaks of the Foxes, as being numerous, and of severall sorts over all Lapland. He reckons up, besides the common ones, those that are black, brown, ash-colored, white; and those that are marked with a cross. The black are most valued because they are rare: in Moscovy Men of honor and preferment have their Caps made of their skins, which are sold, as Herberstenius observes, for 10, sometimes 15 pieces of gold. Those that are marked with a cross, Johnston calls Crucigeræ, and describes them thus: they have from their mouth, over their head and back to their tail a black streak, another crossing their back, and down to their forefeet, which two lines do resemble a cross. These are preferred before the common red Foxes, being bigger, and having thicker hair. The ashen-colored Foxes are those which Johnston calls Isatidæ, their color is mixt of ash and blew, such as is the color of the woad, tho this color is not spread all over his body, nor is any single hair wholly of this color, for the longest hairs are black at the end, the shortest white, from both which this color results. Olaus calls these Celestine, or sky-colored Foxes, where too he tells us that they are of less worth than the rest, and the white ones too, because their color is so, without the tincture of any other, such as Conies use to have. The reason is because their number is great, and their hair not durable: but that there is such abundance of these skins happens because the Foxes are more easily taken, not living in the Woods, but on the naked Mountains between Norway and Swedland.

After the Foxes the Martins are mentioned. These too are frequent in Lapland, and indeed no Nation doth afford more or better skins than this doth. But these differ too, those that have yellow on their throat being preferred before the white: but this is observable that the Laplanders have no Martins but in the Woods, and they have also a particular sort of meat, for they feed on Squirrels and Birds. In the night time, saies Olaus, by the advantage of their sharp claws they can easily climb any Tree, where they make a prey of the Squirrell, who is quite as nimble, tho not so strong, and therefore can sometimes save himself by skipping round the arm of a Tree: this the enemy cannot imitate, especially if the Squirrell leads him up to the top branches, otherwise he cannot escape, and leap from the top of one Tree to another. The Martin is not injurious only to the Squirrel, but to both small and great Birds, which he seizes on as they are at roost: if they be the greater Birds they presently betake themselves to flight with him sitting on their backs, and persisting to bite so long, till they drop down dead.

Next are the Squirrels, which are incredibly numerous. These particularly change their color every year. When Winter draws on they turn from red to grisle, which color is valued in the skin; this color the further the Beasts are Northwards, is the purer, and less mixt with red, and is so too the farther the Season is from Summer, at which time they are never hunted, but all in the Winter. Tho they do so abound, yet they are wont to go away in such troops, till there are scarce any left. The reason of their departure is not known: some think it is because they fear hunger and foresee the want of meat. Others think it is to avoid the injury of the weather. Rheen and Ol. Pet. describe their march on this wise. They go to the brinks of a River, where they find the bark of Pine, or Birch trees, on which they trust themselves, and venture to launch forth, pricking up their tailes for sailes. Thus they are carried at the mercy of the wind till it overturns them and their bark. Their body is of that nature that it will not sink, but being drowned, is driven to shore, where very often great numbers are taken up, and their skins, if they are found soon enough are as fit for use as ever: but, tho such an accident, as this, sweeps away most of them, yet the few that are left preserve the species, and multiply very soon, for each Squirrel brings forth 4, 5, or more at a time. And those are all the Beasts which S. Rheen mentions.

But besides these, there are others, such as are the Sables which Olaus Magnus calls Zabelli, their skins Johnston in his History of Animals commends. Olaus saith that their skins were made use of by the Lapland Women, especially by the Brides to adorn themselves with them; and that there is but small plenty of them in these parts. Some make this beast like a weezel, others especially Scaliger like the Martin, and indeed he seems to be in the right both to the bulk and shape of it. Their color the nearer it comes to black is the more esteemed. There are found several all white, such as we have often seen the Muscovian Embassadors bring over to the King for a most singular present. By which Adamus Bremensis in his Scandinavia seems to have understood white Martins. There are also Ermins which are found only among the Laplanders. Jovius first wrote of them that they were good exchange for any sort of Merchandize. These Ermins are nothing but white weezels having the end of their tails black, Johnston takes notice thereof out of Albertus Magnus, he calleth the beast Erminius, which is the same thing with Armelinus and Hermelinus, differing neither in bigness nor nature from the weezel, the color argues nothing, for he has that only in Winter, but in Summer is of a bright yellow. It is as greedy of Mice as the Weezels are, whence the Sweeds call it Lekat. I am unwilling to call it with Scaliger a Swedland Mouce. Among these I had rather reckon a little sort of beast which they call Lemmus, which Olaus Magnus saith the Ermins feed on, Samuel Rheen speaks of a sort of Mice found in Lapland which they call Mountain Mice or Lemblar, which Wormius describes with short tails and staring hair, and not unlike a Mouce. I will speak little of their color, which Olaus saies is various, Samuel Rheen affirms it red, who observes too that they come of a sudden, and cover the ground with their multitude. Olaus observes that this is alwaies in stormy weather, and thinks that it rains these creatures, but is all together in a doubt, whether they are brought thither by the Winds, or bred in the clouds. Wormius thinks plainly that they are bred in the clouds: but the learned Isaac Vossius in his notes to Pomponius Mela corrects him, and saies the reason why these animals are supposed to fall from the Clouds is because they use not to appear, but immediatly after rain they creep out of their holes, either for that they are fill’d with water, or because this creature thrives much in rain, which opinion seems most probable to me. These creatures are very bold, never making their escape when Passengers come by, but keep on their way, and make a noise like the barking of a dog: they fear neither club nor sword, but if any one strike at them, they turn again and bite. It is observable in them that they never go near or do any mischeif in any hut, sometimes they set upon one another, being divided as it were into two armies, this the Laplanders take to be an omen of future war in Swedland, and gather whence the enemy will come, by observing whence those animals first moved that provoked the rest. These creatures have their enemies too, first the Ermines as I mentioned before, then the Foxes, which bring a great number of these into their holes: hence the Laplanders have no small disadvantage, for the Foxes using this sort of food most, regard not the baits which they lay to catch them. Thirdly the Rain-deers devour them, and lastly the dogs which eat only the fore part of them. These creatures never live, if they chance to eat any herb grown after they had tasted it before: sometimes they perish otherwise, as being choaked in the Hedges or dropping into Water. The last sort of beasts are hares, which are esteemed for their white skin, especially in the winter, at which time they are as white as the Foxes; they change their color every year, alwaies turning white towards this season; for which tho many reasons may be given, I think this is most considerable, that Nature and Providence designed it, least when the ground was quite cover’d with Snow, their color might easily discover them, and they being equally oppressed by man and beast should be quite destroy’d. For which reason too, probably some birds at that time are White. Olaus Magnus testifies the same of hares, that immediatly after Autumn they begin to grow white, and at that time are frequently taken half white and half not, but in the midst of the Winter they are all white as before.