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. [Illustration]