The Lemming The Short-tailed Field-Mouse. 103 



THE LEMMING, (Myodes Lemmus,) 



WHICH is a near relation of the water-rat, and of about 

 the same size, is covered with fur of a yellowish colour 

 variegated with black. This animal resides in the moun- 

 tains of Norway and Sweden, and is remarkable for 

 performing extraordinary migrations in vast bodies at 

 the approach of a severe winter, and making their 

 appearance so suddenly and unexpectedly that people 

 formerly asserted they had fallen from the clouds. Not- 

 withstanding their supposed celestial origin, they are, 

 however, very unwelcome visitors, as they devour every- 

 thing eatable that comes in their way, and commit de- 

 vastations almost as serious as those of the locusts. 



THE SHORT-TAILED FIELD-MOUSE, 

 OR FIELD-VOLE. 



THIS little animal has most wonderful powers of repro- 

 duction, and, as it is extremely voracious, it often causes 

 an amount of destruction quite out of proportion to its 

 size and insignificant appearance. It burrows in the 

 ground, like the lemming and water-rat ; and as it gnaws 

 through the roots of trees that lie in its way, it has been 

 known to cause very serious loss of property. In the 

 year 1813 such immense numbers of these creatures were 

 collected in some of the forests of the South of England, 

 that it was feared all the young trees would be de- 

 stroyed, and it was found necessary to organise a war 

 of extermination against the invaders. It is said tbat 

 in New Forest alone not less than eighty or a hundred 

 thousand mice were killed in one season, and the 

 slaughter in other places was quite as great. 



The Field- Vole's favourite food is the bark of trees and 

 roots, but, if pressed by hunger, it will attack and devour 

 its own kind. 



