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Of the Laplanders Birds and Tifb. 135
to their tail a black streak, another croffing their back, and down to
their forefeet, which iwc^lines do refembleacrofs. ThtSe are pref tried
before the common red Foxes, being bigger, and having thicker nair. The
afhen-colored Foxes are thoSe which Johnflon Alls Ifatids, their color is
mixr of afh and blew, Such as is the color of the woad, tho this color is
not Spread all over his body, nor is any (ingle hair wholly of this color,
for the lcngeft hairs are black at the end, the (honest whiie, from both
which this color refults. Olaw calls thefe CeleTiir.e, or sl-y-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 tintfture of any other,
Such as Conies uSe to have. The reaSon becauSe their number is grear,
and their hair not durable: but tTiat 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 Swtdlatid.
After the Foxes the Martins are mentioned. Thefe too are frequent in
Lapland, and indeed no Nation doth afford more or better skins than this
doth. But theSe differ too, thofe that have yelloW On their throat being
preferred befoFe 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 tithe, Saies Olaus, by
the advantage of their Ihirp claws they can eafily climb any Tree, where they
make a prey of the Squirrel!, 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 tcp 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 rooft : 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 dowu de.id.
Next are the Squirrels, which are incredibly numerous. TheSe
particularly change their color every year. When Winter draws on they turn
from red to grifle , which color is valued in the skin ; this color the
further the Beafts are North.vards, is rhe purer, and lefs mixtwiih red, and
is So too the farther the Seafon is fi 0111 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 becaufe they fear hunger
and foreSee the want of meat. Others think it is to aw-id the injury of
the Weather. Rheen and 01.’Pet- defcrifce their mirch on this wife. They
go to the brinks of a River, where they find the bark of Pine , or Birch
trees, on which they truft themfelves, and venture to launch forth,
pricking up their tailes for failes. Thus they are carried at the mercy cf the
wind till it overturns them and their burk. Their body is of that natur6
that it will not fink, but being drowned, is driven to fliore, where very often
great numbers are taken up , and their skins, if they are found Soon enough
are as fit for uSeasever: but tho Such an accident, as this, Sleeps away
mofc of them, yet the few that are left preferve the Species , and multiply
very foon , for each Squirrel brings f. rth 4, J, or more at a time. And
thofe are all the Beafts which S. Rheen mentions. But
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