ON THE MAMMALIA OF THIS DISTRICT. 235 



Their habits on the march were just what one 

 might suppose the habits of any small animal 

 would be who knows it is passing through an 

 enemy's territory. There was no order or regu- 

 larity. They seemed to travel much by night, and 

 by day you might observe them on the move, 

 running from one heap of grass to the other, evi- 

 dently in a great bustle and trepidation. All 

 seemed heading to the fells, and each one tried to 

 reach this point as well as it was able, but none 

 seemed in a hurry to get there. During their 

 journey, every animal larger than themselves 

 claimed a perfect right to persecute them, as 

 though, instead of being one of the prettiest and 

 most harmless little animals we have in the north, 

 the lemming were to be regarded as a venomous 

 snake; and how so many escaped I think most 

 wonderful. Boys, dogs, birds of prey of every 

 description, ruthlessly pursued them, and as many 

 were killed for sheer wantonness as for the sake of 

 food, for I observed that very few dogs ate them ; 

 and although I saw our old cat (and we only had 

 one cat in the village) kill them whenever he 

 had a chance, I never saw him eat one. It is a 

 curious, but I believe a well- substantiated fact, 

 although I never witnessed it, that the reindeer 

 greedily devour them. I certainly never yet saw 

 an animal which combines stupidity with bravery 



