176 LEMMINGS. Chap. XI. 



The lemming is a little creature about twice the size of 

 the short-tailed field-mouse, which it also resembles in its 

 habits. They have been found all over the arctic regions 

 westward of Baffin's Bay wherever vegetation exists ; but 

 where it is extremely scanty, as along the shores of Barrow 

 Strait, and in North Somerset, they are very rare. Melville 

 Island and Prince Patrick's Land are well stocked with them. 

 They are strange fearless little things ; even when freshly 

 caught and put on the dinner-table, they would run about, 

 visit every one's plate, and nibble biscuit quite unconcernedly. 

 We have kept them on board for weeks, during which time 

 some of them exhibited the nasty habit of devouring their 

 own offspring. 



It is not uncommon to meet their tracks on the ice 

 several miles off shore crossing from one island to another. 

 Sir Edward Parry found the skeleton of one upon the ice, in 

 latitude 8if° N., and sixty miles from the nearest known 

 land ! 



Almost all animated nature preys upon them : bear, wolf, 

 fox, ermine, birds of prey, the lestris parasiticus, and the 

 larger gulls. The burgomaster has frequently been seen to 

 pounce down upon the lemming, and carry him up to his 

 resting place in the cliffs. 



In his sledge journal, Young mentions shooting some of 

 these gulls for supper, and finding whole lemmings in their 

 stomachs. This was in early spring before the thaw, when 

 probably no other food was available for them. At this 

 season, the warmth of the returning sun probably tempted 

 the unlucky lemmings out of their burrows beneath the 

 snow. 



The weather is too mild to satisfy us ; we wish for severe 

 frost to seal us up securely, and make the ice strong enough 

 to bear the sledge-loads of .provisions, &c., which are to be 

 landed for the purpose of making more room in the ship. 



