l<Jt ANIMALS OF THE 



very short time, and give it an appearance of 

 being burnt up and strewed with ashes. If they 

 are interrupted in their course, and a man should 

 imprudently venture to attack one of them, the 

 little animal is no way intimidated by the dispa- 

 rity of strength, but furiously flies up at its oppo- 

 nent, and barking somewhat like a puppy, where- 

 ever it fastens does not easily quit the hold. If 

 at last the leader be forced out of its line, which 

 it defends as long as it can, and be separated 

 from the rest of its kind, it sets up a plaintive 

 cry, different from that of anger, and, as some 

 pretend to say, gives itself a voluntary death, by 

 hanging itself on the fork of a tree. 



An enemy so numerous and destructive would 

 quickly render the countries where they appear 

 utterly uninhabitable, did it not fortunately hap- 

 pen that the same rapacity that animates them to 

 destroy the labours of mankind, at last impels 

 them to destroy and devour each other.* After 

 committing incredible devastations, they are at 

 last seen to separate into two armies, opposed 

 with deadly hatred, along the coasts of the 

 larger lakes and rivers. The Laplanders, who 

 observe them thus drawn up to fight, instead of 

 considering their mutual animosities as a happy 

 riddance of the most dreadful pest, form ominous 

 prognostics from the manner of their arrange- 

 ment. They consider their combats as a presage 

 of war, and expect an invasion from the Russians 

 or the Swedes, as the sides next those kingdoms 



* DicUonnaire Raisonnc, vol.ii. p. 6 10. 



