European forms may be named tbe John dory, Tonorina and
Bonito, which are more chance visitors; also the sword-fish and
tunny, which appear annually in our fjords during the sprat
fisheries in the summer and autumn months, and Sebastes dactylo-
pterus, which is stationary in the deep west-country fjords.
Among our most interesting fish are the peculiar, silvery ribbon-
fishes (Traehypterus and Regalecus) 'and the Japanese shark (Chla-
mydoselaehus anguineus), which has only, been found at Yard®,
Madeira, and in Japan.
The salmon is the most valuable of the fresh-water fishes, and
is caught all along the coast, and in the large rivers, where it
comes to spawn. Trout and red char (Salmo alpinus), whose
habits in the north of Norway are the same as those-of the salmon,
are the most widely distributed of the fresh-water fish, and
there are few rivers from which they are absent. The fresh
waters of western Norway are very deficient in fish-species.
Of the 10 species of reptiles and Amphibia, the lizard (Laeerta
mvipara) and the frog (JRana platyrrhina) are found all over the
country, the viper (Vipera berm) has its northern limit at the
polar circle, and the remainder seem to disappear at the Trond-
hjem Fjord.
The bird-fauna of Norway numbers about 280 species, of which
190 breed amu'ally within the confines of the country. The large
majority of these are birds of passage, such as the falcon and
some other birds of prey, most of the perchers, the waders, geese
and ducks. Their flight is by three ways, one southerly, following
the Kristiania valley, and farther south through Sweden and Denmark
; one easterly, from Finmarken through Finland, and lastly the
coast route, with its last station, in Norway, on the flat Lister-
land and Jsederen, whence the flight is directed over the sea,
partly to England, and partly to Denmark. Lister and Jsederen,-
where, at the time of migration, large flocks of birds often gather,
are therefore for Norway what .Gothland is for Sweden, and Heligoland
for Central Europe. The mild climate of the south and west
coasts, however, is instrumental in causing various birds, such as
the starling, blackbird, woodcock, duck, swan, etc. to winter here.
In the place of the migrated flocks, we are visited in the winter
by several arctic or ocean birds, e. g. Mergulus alle, Sula bassana,
Fulmarus glacialis, Larus leucopterus, Somateria speetabilis, S.
stelleri, etc.
Along our west and north coasts, there are numerous colonies
of swimming birds, gulls, terns, guillemots, razorbills, puffins,
Mttiwakes, cormorants and eider ducks. The farther north we go,
the more numerous become the colonies, and in the north of Norway
whole cliffs are covered with them, and whole islands are
occupied by their nesting-places, bringing no small profit to their
owners. The most notable of these cliffs are at Loyunden in
Helgeland, inhabited by puffins, and at Svserholtklubben, inhabited
by kittiwakes, Other characteristic coast birds are the sheldrake,
the goosander, the heron, the lapwing, the curlew, the oyster-
catcher, the shore pipit, the sea-eagle, etc.
The bird fauna of the lowlands, which is most abundant
in the valleys of the east country, is similar to that of Europe
in general. That of the mountains, on the other hand, is more
characteristic. We here find several species that are seldom found
south of Norway, such as the Lapland bunting (Fleetrophanes
laponica), whose most southerly abode is on the Dovre Mountains,
and the snow bunting (Fleetrophanes nivalis). On the mountains
we also meet with the alpine ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus), and
the snowy owl (Nyctea seandiaea), whose principal food is the
lemming.1 In the so-called lemming-years, this species appears in
great numbers, and follows the lemming in its migration towards
the lowlands. We have, moreover, the rough-legged buzzard (Arehi-
buteo lagopus), and some other birds of prey. By the lakes
broods the black duck ( Oidemia), and on the marshes we find the
dotterel (Eudromias morinellus), the golden plover (Charadrius
pluvicdis), the ruff (Machetes pugnax), etc. The favourite haunts
of most of our waders, are in the northern parts of the country.
When we descend to the sub-alpine region, birds aro more abundant.
Here is the haunt of Norway’s most valuable game-bird,
the willow-grouse (Lagopus albus). Here too we meet with the
wood-cock, (Scolopax rusticola) and the snipe (Gallinago major).
The willow-grouse is the commonest of all the gallinaceous birds,
but black grouse (Tetrao tetrix) is the most widely distributed,
being found both in the pine forests of the east, and in the barren
islands of the west. The capercailzie, on the other hand, has a
more limited distribution, being found especially in the pine forests
of the east and north, more rarely in the west. This may also
be said of the hazel grouse, whose home is the spruce-woods; for
--j| is altogether absent from the west country.