Wild rein-deer abound in Norwegian Lapland : but few arc found in Swedish Lapland, except between Gra noen and Lycksele. They arc considerably larger than the tame deer. Hares are plentiful, and in the winter season become entirely white. Three kinds of martens are found, especially in Norwegian Lapland, which aro dis tinguished, according to the places which they frequent, by the unities of stone-marten, birch•marten, and fir-mar ten. The glutton is common in the country, and its skin is of great value for making muffs and gloves. The bea ver is also found in some parts of Lapland, and in some rare instances are of a white colour. Otters of different kinds—ermines, a species of white weasel—squirrels, which are shot with blunt arrows to preserve the beauty of their skins—a:Ica lenznus, a species of marmot peculiar to Lapland—and field-mice in immense numbers, are all na tives of those high latitudes. Foxes also are extremely numerous, some of which are white, with black ears and feet—some red, or red with a black cross—some black, or black with long hairs on the back of a silver colour at their extremities : the skins of which, known by the name of silver-haired, are highly valued in the north of Europe. Wolves, generally of a tawny hue, but sometimes of a whitish colour, are also numerous, and extremely destruc tive to the tame rein-deer. Bears are common in Lapland, and, though subsisting principally on berries and herbs, frequently prey upon the cows, sheep, or goats but are not able to overtake the rein-deer—and, unless provoked, would rather avoid than attack a man.
Many birds are found in Lapland, which have not yet been discovered in other countries : particularly the Lap land wood-cock, which has its beak turned up at the end : the Swedish mock-bird, remarkable for the variety of its notes, as well as the beauty of its plumage, anti called by the natives the bird of a " hundred tongues :" the Lapland owl, a very rare bird : a species of magpie, called the Lapland crow : the three-toed woodpecker : the great dark coloured wood-cock, with a very long beak, of which the lower half is red, &c. The only birds which remain during winter, are partridges, crows, owls, and ptarmigans: but great multitudes resort, in summer, to the lakes and marshes for the purpose of breeding : and are well suppli ed with food from the berries and insects which abound at. that season. Among these are observed the eagle and falcon tribe, some of which are entirely white : owls, one species of which is of a large size and whitish colour: crows in prodigious numbers, which become extremely tame during winter : ravens, which are frequently so bold and voracious as to seize the fish hung up to dry, and to pluck out the eyes of the sheep : partridges, which become white in winter : large bustards, about the size of a full grown turkey : magpies, pigeons, plovers, thrushes, wood cocks, snipes, snow-birds, gold-finches, cuckoos, water wagtails, ruffand reeves, swallows, wheat-ears, buntings, black Brous, ptarmigans, swans, wild geese, cider ducks, cranes, gulls, goosanders, razor-bills, little cared grebes, pelicans, cormorants, kc.
The only amphibious animals are the common frogs, and lizards. The rivers abound in excellent salmon ; and the lakes in piko, perch, trout, eels, and charr. Whales appear upon the coasts in astonishing numbers, especially about Candlemas; and the sword-hsh, shark, and porpoise, are sufficiently common. Ilolibut, skate, turbot, and flounders, are taken in vast quantities in the northern ocean ; and, when dried, are exported to the neighbouring countries in the north of Europe. Cod, tusk, and ling, arc found on the coasts of Lapland during the whole year ; and herrings appear in immense shoals ; but front want of nets these last are taken only in small quantities, and used chiefly as bait for other fish. The seas around Lapland furnish also sturgeon, lamprey, soles, seg, grayling, gwiniard, lobsters, crabs, prawns, kc.
The insects of Lapland are more numerous than had long been suspected by naturalists; and have been par ticularly described by Dr. Quenzel. The most curious and unaccountable circumstance noticed by this traveller is, that phalxnx, which in other countries appear only to wards evening, and during the night time, follow an en tirely opposite course in Lapland, flying about during the day, and disappearing when the sun is near the horizon. No venomous animal whatever is found in the whole country of Lapland.
The natives of Lapland are wholly ignorant of their origin as a people ; but there can be little doubt of their having been the first inhabitants of the country which they now occupy. Their descent has been deduced by some authors from the Scythians, and by others from the ancient Hebrews ; but the most probable opinion is. that their more immediate ancestors were the ancient Finns The description at least of the Finni, by Ptolemy and Tacitus, is strikingly applicable to the mountain Laplanders of the present day. They are supposed to have been the people designated by Iferodotus, under the epithets Cynocephali, Troglodytes, and Pigmies. They disclaim the appellation of Laplanders, which is understood to be a term of re proach, and to have been given to them by the Swedes upon the first subjugation of the country ; but etymologists are not agreed about its precise import and derivation. It is deduced by some from the Latin /Opus, blear-eyed ; by others from the Swedish la/i/ia, a patch, in reference to their garment ; and some interpret the word, a bat, denot ing their ugliness ; and by others from the Finnish exiles or runaways, supposing them to have migrated, or to have been banished from Finland.* The Lapland lan guage is represented as having a considerable analogy to that of the Finns, and as distinguished by certain peculi arities, resembling the idiom of the Hebrew. It is de scribed as possessing an elegant brevity, expressing by one word what inmost languages would require several. It abounds in diminutives, but is barren in proverbs. It may be noticed as one of its singularities, that the names of fluids, metals, minerals, grains, herbs, and fruits, are all express ed only in the plural number.