124 NORTHERN SCENERY. 



his tail when descending. His food is also found in 

 the forest, and this consists of fruit, leaves and 

 flowers, which he cuts with ease by means of his 

 long incisors. 



The Lemming of Hudson's Bay (Lemmus Hud- 

 sonius), resembles, in his habits and mode of life, his 

 relatives of the Antarctic regions. Like them the 

 species congregrate in myriads, and march straight 

 forwards in regular lines, about three feet asunder, 

 and generally in a south-east direction. If a river 

 flows before them, they swim across; if a moun- 

 tain obstructs their way, they go round or climb 

 over it. Even fires, when kindled to guard the 

 corn-fields in their southern progress do not alarm 

 them. On they go in spite of every obstacle, jour- 

 neying chiefly in the night, and devouring every 

 root and vegetable, fruit, or grain. Happy is it for 

 mankind that such migrations are not frequent, and 

 that the herds are uniformly accompanied by foxes 

 and weasels, which destroy great numbers. The 

 most disastrous consequences would otherwise ensue 

 in every country through which they pass. 



Let us now for awhile contemplate the cold 

 and cheerless regions which these animals fre- 

 quent. A land, towards the north, of giant 

 mountains, covered at intervals with blighted shrubs 

 and a scanty garniture of moss; of unpeopled 

 valleys filled with stunted pine and fir, with birch 

 and juniper; and of lakes formed by the melting of 

 ice and snow, so cold and destitute of even insect 

 life, that only a few trout inhabit them. The sur- 

 face of the earth is everywhere uneven, and is 



