74 CORROBORATIVE PROOFS. 



his mouth, began to munch, and seemed well inclined to 

 eat them. 



" In addition to the proofs already given of the rein-deer 

 occasionally feeding on the lemming," says the Baronet, in 

 the second volume of his work, " I am now enabled 

 to bring forward another, which will be considered even 

 more satisfactory, from its having occurred during the last 

 autumn. Mr. Rickards, who has recently returned from 

 an interesting tour through Sweden and Norway, which he 

 undertook at the expense of a distinguished nobleman, and 

 for the express purpose of bringing over rein-deer, different 

 objects of natural history, and some living specimens of the 

 Capercali, has assured me, in the most decided manner, that 

 he is enabled to confirm, from actual observation, the fact of 

 the rein-deer eating the lemming. When passing through 

 Jemtland, in the month of September, before he crossed the 

 frontier mountains into Norway, he met with the lemmings 

 in very great numbers near Aberg, overspreading the country 

 in their usual manner. He had with him ten rein- deer, 

 which he had procured; and on two different occasions he 

 had an opportunity of witnessing the fact ; at one time with 

 a buck, and the other with a young doe, which had been 

 tied to a stake, to render her more tractable to lead, 

 and which, upon one of these animals coming within 

 her reach, sprang forward, seized hold of it, and quickly 

 devoured it." 



We are farther informed by M. Malm, the naturalist, 

 who, as said, spent some time in Lapland and I deem his 

 testimony conclusive on the point at issue that, " in the 

 summer and autumn, when the lemmings traverse the forests 

 and the fjalls, they are pursued, killed, and eaten by the rein- 



