78 THE NATUEALIST IN NORWAY. 



a black line from the back running on to the short 

 tail ; the lower upper surface of the body, tawny- 

 yellow, tinged here and there with black ; the whole 

 under surface of the body pale buff, rather lighter on 

 the throat; the eyes small, round, black, and piercing, 

 and on each cheek long, black and white whiskers. 

 The length five inches, with a mere stump of a tail ; 

 each foot has five toes ; the upper lip incised, and each 

 jaw has two sharp teeth. In colour it resembles a 

 guinea-pig, in shape and size it is like a mole. 



It was at one time supposed that there were two 

 species of lemming in Norway, viz. the fj eld-lemming, 

 which frequented the mountains, and the skov-lemming, 

 which abode in the woods. This is now acknowleged 

 to have been a mistake. The Norwegian differs much 

 from the Russian lemming, as the latter is much smaller 

 in size. 



The lemming does not burrow, although, when the 

 snow is on the ground, it makes openings in it in 

 search of food, and is then said to do serious damage 

 to the growing grass, for the grass in this country 

 grows underneath the snow. When there is no snow, 

 the little creature lives in narrow furrows among the 

 herbage, or in small, natural holes in stony ground. 

 The lemming is not easily kept in confinement, but 

 soon misses its liberty, pines, and dies. Some time 

 ago a friend of mine, while on a visit to Norwegian 

 Lapland, thought he would avail himself of the oppor- 

 tunity to carry a few lemmings home with him to 

 Christiania. With this intention he purchased twenty- 

 five in Finmark, which he placed in a long basket, 

 with sufficient vegetable food for their sustenance 

 until they arrived at Throndjem. At Throndjem a 



