80 THE NATURALIST IN NORWAY. 



little creatures that their numbers are so multiplying 

 in the northern latitudes that it is necessary that a 

 part of them should leave for other localities. Be that 

 as it may, they certainly do migrate, at least great 

 numbers of them do so ; and when they have once left 

 their usual haunts, they wander onwards until they 

 come to the mighty ocean, which they enter, still in 

 search of some imaginary land of plenty, to meet a 

 watery grave. If this be correct, then man is not the 

 only animal that has visions of Utopia. It is a well- 

 ascertained fact, acknowledged by all naturalists ac- 

 quainted with the habits of the lemming, that the 

 migratory hordes never return to the place from 

 whence they set out. None are ever observed going 

 back to their abandoned homes in the dreary northern 

 land. When they leave the northern fjelds, they 

 wander off to various points on the North Sea ; great 

 numbers cross the mountains to the west coast of 

 Norway, and are drowned in the lakes and fjords on 

 their way thither ; others go to the Gulf of Bothnia, 

 and are drowned there. When migrating, large num- 

 bers fall victims to wild beasts and birds of prey. 

 The lynx, glutton, and white fox, leave the north in 

 pursuit of the lemmings when they migrate ; many 

 birds of prey do the same, eagles, hawks, owls, and 

 especially the gray or Lapland owl, and the snowy owl. 

 If, therefore, the English sportsman or naturalist 

 should happen at any time to be in Norway when the 

 lemmings are migrating, many rare specimens of birds 

 will fall before his gun, if he keeps in the track of the 

 little creatures. It is said that the reindeer feeds on 

 the lemming during its migration, but becomes ema- 

 ciated when it does so. 



