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.
[CHAP. XXX.]
Of their Birds and Fish.
I come now to the Birds, of which here is great store. Samuel Rheen mentions these, Swans, Geese, Ducks, Lapwings, Snipes, all sorts of water Birds, and wild fowl, as Heathcocks, Stock-doves, Partridges, Woodcocks; he makes a distinction between water fowle and those that are bred in Woods, and proves that they abound with each sort, because the country has so many pools, ponds, and woods. Of these birds, some are in other countries, some only in these Northern parts. Swans, Geese and Ducks, are known every where: he means wild ducks, for they have no tame ones. Olaus Petri takes notice of the same thing. It is remarkable in these wild foul, that they come from the South into the North, where they build their nests, hatch and breed up their young ones, which is not frequent elsewhere. I believe it is because they do not find such security nor plenty of food in other places. The Snipes I suppose are scarce found any where else, their back and head are black, and most part of their wings, white on their breast and belly, red bills, very long, and set with teeth, short feet and red with skin between their claws, as all water fowle have. As you may see in the next page.
To this we may add that sort of Bird called Loom, which Samuel Rheen omitted, unless he comprehended them under the water-fowle in general, for there is such a number of them, and so various, that the particulars would take up too much time: Olaus Wormius has a draught of this bird, it is no sort of duck, as appears by its bill, which is not broad but sharp. This bird peculiarly goes not upon land, but alwaies either flies or swims, it hath feet very short for the proportion of its body, and standing so much back, that tho they are very convenient for swimming, yet it cannot so poise its body on land as to be able to go: hence it is called Loome, which signifies lame or unable to go. Of the wild fowl that which Samuel Rheen calls Kiæder and we render Wogallon, intimating the biggest sort, is named Cedron near Trent, if Gesner may be credited, who describes the rest very probably: but as to the color of the Hen, which he affirms does differ nothing from the Cock, he is mistaken; for the color is quite yellow with black specks. The same may be observed of the Stock-doves which he calls the lesser Urogalli, for the hen differs from the cock, he being all black, and she yellow, like the hen of the Heathcock, from which she is distinguist by nothing but bigness. Olaus Magnus because the Color was not exactly yellow, called it ashen, for sometimes it is composed of both these, most enclining to an ash. There are no other sort of wild cocks, then those the Sweeds call Orrar and the Latines Tetraones or Urogalli minores: their combs are the same with the Urogalli, placed not on the top of their heads, but above each eie, which the painter not understanding drew them from his own tame cocks. Some call these birds Pheasants, but whoveer compares them, will discern two distinct species. Both sorts are found in Lapland, but the latter not so frequent; nor are the others equally plentiful every year, for in some there are none. I come now to the woodcocks, which I think is the right name; the Swedes have a bird which they call Jærpe, and the Germans Haselhun, but it is doubted whether these are the same with the woodcock, for they do not frequent marshes as the woodcocks do, but live altogether in woods and groves, whence Rheen reckons them among that sort of fowle which inhabit the woods. However, there is plenty of these birds in Lapland, and they afford good meat for the inhabitants; but no bird abounds there more then the White Partridge, not only in the woods but on the highest Mountains, even then when they are covered with Snow. I call it Lagopos which Samuel Rheen sometimes Fialriipor or Snioeripor, the Germans and especially the Helvetians term is Schnæhuner, i. e. Snow-hens, or Shnævoigil, i. e. Snow-birds, because they delight in Snow and to dwell on the top of the Alpes. They have a kind of hair instead of Feathers, and hears feet, whence they are called Lagopodes. Samuel Rheen describes them thus, that in the Winter they are as white as Snow, having not one black feather, but that which the Hen has under her wing: when spring comes they turn grey like hen pheasants, and keep that color till Winter. Olaus Magnus mentions a sort of snow birds, which naturally changes its white into ashen, but I can scarce believe he means the Lagopodes, because he speaks of their red feet, such as Storkes have, whereas the Lagopodes much differ. Another thing Samuel Rheen observes, that the Lagopodes never sit on trees, as Olaus his Snow-birds are painted, but are alwaies on the ground very active, scarce ever sitting still. Their shape is this.