carefully if dead.

any

animal has hidden himself, or lies

"When the people have advanced to the farthest point, the wild animals which have been shot are to be conveyed to the King's skreen.

"No other than good marksmen shall be allowed to carry a gun."

Mr. Greiff has given some farther directions regarding the manner in which the wolf-skalls is to be organized and conducted; but, as they are of a something similar nature to those I have made mention of when speaking of bear-skalls, I have not thought it necessary to insert them.

During my stay at Stockholm, I visited the skall-plats of which I am speaking;-this was along with Mr. Arenius, the head-ranger of the district, who was so obliging as to explain the nature and purport of every thing.

On this occasion, I was in company with Count Charles Frederick Piper, a Swedish nobleman of high rank. The Count held the appointment of Förste Hofjägmästare, which may be rendered in French, (for in English I know of no equivalent,) Grand Veneur de la cour. As this is the second office in the gift of the Swedish Crown, in regard to the forests, I was of course at head-quarters for sporting information. To this accomplished nobleman I am under the greatest obligations, as well for his attentions whilst I remained at Stockholm, as at an after period, when I partook

of the hospitalities of his princely residence at Löfstad.

At this time, the ground was covered with snow to the depth of six or eight inches: there were then, as we saw by their tracks, one, if not two wolves feeding upon the carrion. As there were more of those animals, however, known to be in the vicinity, which, it was daily expected, might follow the example of their comrades,— and as it was contrary to rule to call out the people, unless a greater number were within the skall-plats, Mr. Arenius did not feel himself justified in taking this step, which he much regretted, as he was very anxious to gratify my curiosity, in witnessing the destruction of some of these pernicious beasts. Though no chasse took place whilst I remained in the capital, in the commencement of the following April, five wolves were one day slaughtered in this very skall-plats.

Very considerable numbers of those animals are sometimes killed in the winter-skalls: I have heard of as many as fifteen being shot in a day. On these occasions, wolves never, I believe, turn upon their assailants; but, when they find escape impossible, they generally skulk, and endeavour to hide themselves. Mr. Greiff says, they do not attempt to leap over the nets, but always endeavour to creep under them.

No one is allowed to use balls at a wolf-skall, for fear of accidents; these animals are therefore destroyed with large shot.

CHAPTER XVII.

Journey from Stockholm to Wermeland; thence to Warnäs.Wolves. Snow-Skates.-Skarbogar.

ON the evening of the 8th of February, I took my departure from Stockholm, during a slight fall of snow, and set off on my way to Wermeland.

Whilst I staid in that place, I received much hospitality from several of my countrymen, as well as others. This was more particularly the case, as regarded the Honourable John Bloomfield, who, in the absence of his noble father, was then acting as our representative at the Swedish court. To General Count Suchtelen, the Russian Ambassador, I was also under many obligations.

On this occasion, I took the road which runs to the southward of the Mälarn; as, from previous inquiries, I had ascertained the sledging was much better in that part of the country than by the northern route, by which I had proceeded to Stockholm. The distance, besides, was nearly equal.