536 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



though Manniche records that Wegener and Weinschenek of the 

 Danish Expedition found traces of lemmings "in Dronning Louises 

 Land, 40 kilometers out on the inland ice" (N. lat. 75°). Southward 

 of the Kane Basin in northwest Greenland, this Lemming seems to 

 be unknown, and Feilden (1877) supposes that its range is effectively 

 barred by the great Humboldt Glacier that debouches into the sea 

 at this point. No trace of it has been found in west Greenland, and 

 its presence, did it exist there, would surely be known to the many 

 Eskimo, missionaries, and other travellers to these more frequented 

 portions of the country. What barrier prevents its further spread 

 in southeastern Greenland, is still unrecognized. Across the Robeson 

 Channel and along the western shores of Smith Sound in Grinnell 

 Land and Ellesmere Land it is common and probably ranges through- 

 out much of this large land-mass. In general, therefore, its distribu- 

 tion is nearly coextensive with that of the White-fronted Musk ox 

 {Ovibos wardi). Feilden (1877) speaks of its habit of frequently 

 wandering for long distances over the ice, and his party several times 

 found lemmings on the floes of Robeson Channel, sometimes at con- 

 siderable distances from land, and often in a very exhausted condition, 

 if not actually dead. The limits of its range to the south and west 

 are yet to be ascertained. 



A single specimen (U. S. N. M. 12,986) was obtained by Ludwig 

 Kumhen in May, 1878, from near Cape Mercy, Cumberland Penin- 

 sula, Baffin Land, which seems to be unquestionably the Greenland 

 Lemming. It is in process of molt, but shows the rusty sides and 

 gray hips, and the skull is typical in its tooth-characters. Kumlien 

 (1879, p. 53) found no traces of it elsewhere on Cumberland Sound, 

 though it was said to have been common there formerly. This is 

 the most southern record on the west side of Baffin's Bay. 



The species is the most boreal of the true rodents, and extends 

 its range farther toward the pole than any other of its genus. 



Habits. — The reports of Arctic explorers make frequent mention 

 of this Lemming, but usually in a rather casual way. Manniche 

 (1910) has lately written a most interesting and valuable summary 

 of his own studies during two years spent in northeast Greenland. 

 His experience and that of others, is Ihat the animal is found in 

 favorable localities along the coast, where Arctic vegetation is in 

 ccmparative abundance, particularly grasses, on which it largely 

 feeds, and the Saxifraga oppositifolia. 



Little is known of the breeding habits. Large nests of dried grasses 

 and hair or wool of other mammals (musk ox) if available, are made. 



