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HARDWICK&S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



lemmings drop from the air, but states that many 

 persons, both in his own and former times, assert 

 they have seen them thus descend ; and that the 

 possibility of the circumstance is admitted by 

 Wormius, Scaliger, and other great men. These 

 philosophers suppose that the embryos of lemmings, 

 like those of frogs and such small fry, may be 

 attracted to the clouds, and there fed, fattened, and 

 dropped down, all ready for French cooks and 

 Laplanders' dogs. But other philosophers, of pro- 

 founder insight, account for the singular phenomenon 

 by the hypothesis that the mountain fogs — which 

 sometimes, to suit their special purpose, are as thick 

 as water -gruel and much stronger — may lift up the 

 lemmings in multitudes, and carry them off bodily to 

 a great distance ; a feat which the incredulous 

 Linneans may disbelieve, but which, nevertheless, is 

 far more probable than that such a fog should abduct 

 a Laplander and his herd — as formerly some of the 

 peasants imagined it was able to do ! 



It was quite commonly said by the peasants of 

 Norway, with whom I conversed on the subject, that 

 the lemmings make their appearance every ten years ; 

 but this statement is not exact, for at Urland, I was 

 told, thirteen years had elapsed since their previous 

 visit, and at Utne and in Vestfjordalen, twelve years. 

 Nor does the statement, that they always proceed 

 from north to south, appear to be invariably correct. 

 Soderhjelm, quoted by Lloyd, says they seem to 

 migrate, in-the north of Sweden, to all points of the 

 compass, including a north-easterly direction towards 

 the Icy Sea. Some writers affirm they always begin 

 their migrations in spring, others in autumn. I 

 have never seen lemmings actually on the march ; 

 those swarms amidst which I passed almost con- 

 tinuously from the Sogne-fjord, over the Hardanger, 

 and through Theleinarken, might be then gradually 

 extending themselves southwards, but wherever I 

 saw them they were running about in all directions, 

 eating the grass and other herbage ; and I certainly 

 saw young ones amongst them, not only on the 

 Urland's-fjeld, but also in the Thelemark, though 

 Pontoppidan says, that in Norway, during their 

 migrations, young ones are never seen. 1 cannot, 

 therefore, from my own observations, corroborate at 

 all points the following account of their mode of 

 procedure, communicated by my Laplandish friend ; 

 nor do I know that he has been an eye-witness of all 

 it relates. It is a good summary, however, of what 

 is known, or commonly stated, on the subject. " So 

 long as the numbers of the lemmings do not exceed 

 the available means of subsistence on the mountain, 

 they there remain ; but when its resources prove 

 insufficient to feed the increased multitudes, and 

 famine stands at the door, then out wander they, and 

 on their course eat up all vegetation they are able 

 to attain, desolating large tracts. If during their 

 mountain life they shun water, so much the more 

 spirit and courage in surmounting it they display on 



their migrations ; for they march right onwards,, 

 allowing neither rapids nor great waters to dismay 

 them. Many, indeed, perish on these aquatic tours, 

 and after stormy weather the mountain lakes may be 

 seen overspread with dead lemmings ; but in great 

 multitudes also they reach the sea-coast, where true 

 to their persistent and fearless inclination they 

 commit themselves to the sea, in which thousands 

 find a grave ; and only when it is too late can they 

 be brought to think of turning back. Consequently 

 few regain the mountain, to begin a new migration 

 when their numbers have again augmented beyond its 

 means for supplying them with a sufficiency of food." 

 Hulphers, an old Swedish author, says that the 

 descent of lemmings upon the low lands forebodes 

 a bad year ; and in Norway, when they scream more 

 than usual, bad weather is supposed to be at hand. 



NOTE ON COCA. 



I READ Mr. Whittaker's short article on Ery- 

 throxylon Coca with great interest. As a drug it 

 has increased very greatly in use during the last year, 

 from the discovery of the anesthetic properties of its 

 alkaloid ; and it has been found especially useful in 

 ophthalmic cases. In the early part of this year, the 

 demand for the alkaloid cocaine increased to such an 

 extent, that the supply fell short of the demand, and 

 the price of the drug went up to almost a prohibitive 

 figure. (Cocaine reached 30 cents per grain.) Ac- 

 cording to Dr. Squibb (in Ephemeris, May), " There 

 appear to be two very distinct varieties of Coca, the 

 Peruvian and Bolivian, each country claiming each 

 variety as being the best. Each variety is divided 

 into the wild and cultivated leaf. Coca from wild 

 plants is larger and thinner, and is generally con- 

 sidered inferior, but of its inferiority there is much 

 doubt." In Bolivia and Peru, from three to four 

 crops of leaves are procured per annum. The United 

 States Minister Gibbs of La Paz, says that the women 

 pick the leaves by hand, and in doing so are careful 

 not to touch the top of the bush, for if this be 

 touched by man or animal, "it withers and dries 

 up." The consumers of Coca in Peru and Bolivia are 

 the native races, and the habit must have descended 

 from the times of the Incas, since Mr. Gibbs says he 

 has found buried with the ancient Peruvians, small 

 quantities of Coca, and the small earthen vase used 

 with it, to hold the lime or potassa of the coca 

 chewer." 



The plant has been grown in the Botanic Gardens 

 of Ceylon for several years past, so that, as Mr.. 

 Whittaker suggests, it may start a very lucrative 

 industry in our Indian provinces. As Mr. Whittaker 

 states in his article, opinions differ as to the virtues 

 and effects of the leaves. I do not however think 

 any of his surmises hit upon the true reason for this 

 discrepancy in results obtained by different experi- 



