IN THE GULA VALLEY 139 



marked that there were fewer fish to be seen, and 

 fewer fish were caught the whole length of the river 

 after the flood than before it. The native theory was 

 that this strong flood had washed all the salmon out 

 to sea again. The conception had the merit of being 

 original, and might have been prompted by the desire 

 of the inhabitants of the Gula Valley to maintain the 

 reputation of their river. Personally I have never 

 heard of salmon being washed down a river against 

 their will. Without attempting to dogmatize about 

 it, I recommend the point for examination by experts. 

 The year 1903 was a lemming year in Norway. 

 This meant that the whole countryside was infested 

 with the small black-and-yellow-fur-covered rodent, 

 about the size of a small rat, that is known as the 

 lemming. In every bunch of grass and heather, 

 under almost every rock, was to be found a lemming, 

 chattering and highly indignant if disturbed or inter- 

 fered with, ready to go for anything or anybody on 

 the slightest provocation, and a source of continual 

 joy to every Norwegian boy and dog. The little 

 animals also provided a perpetual feast for the hoodie 

 crows, which swarmed everywhere, and for the 

 hawks and owls. The lemmings had been drowned 

 in thousands by the big Gula flood already mentioned, 

 and the river-banks were heaped with the carcasses. 

 There is no doubt the Norway lemming is a periodical 

 nuisance, when he breaks out, as he does at intervals, 

 in these extraordinary numbers, for he eats a large 

 amount of grass, occasionally pollutes the water, and 

 also attracts vermin. There is even such a thing 

 so the natives say as lemming fever. One pecu- 

 liarity of the pest is that its hordes move continually 

 west for what reason or in obedience to what instinct 



