Indigenous Icelandic Terrestrial Mammalian Fauna. 449 



others ; but W. Hooker, in his l Tour in Iceland ' (1813), ex- 

 pressed more than doubt as to the correctness of the statement, 

 as he affirmed that the more intelligent Icelanders laughed at 

 the report. Henderson's attention was in the meanwhile 

 called to this doubtful point when he commenced his second 

 journey in Iceland ; and he endeavoured, if possible, to obtain 

 fresh information upon it. After giving Olafsen's above-cited 

 statement and Hooker's doubts, he proceeds as follows (Journal 

 of a Residence in Iceland in the years 1814, 1815, and 1818, 

 vol. ii. p. 186) : — 



" Having been apprised of the doubts that were entertained 

 on this subject before setting out on my second excursion, I 

 made a point of inquiring of different individuals as to the 

 reality of the account ; and I am happy in being able to say 

 that it is now established as an important fact in natural his- 

 tory, by the testimony of two eye-witnesses of unquestionable 

 veracity, the clergyman of Briamslgek and Madame Benedict- 

 son of Stickesholm, both of whom assured me that they had 

 seen the expedition performed repeatedly. Madame Benedict- 

 son in particular recollected having spent a whole afternoon, in 

 her younger days, at the margin of a small lake on which 

 these skilful navigators had embarked, and amused herself 

 and her companions by driving them away from the sides of 

 the lake as they approached them. I was also informed that 

 they make use of dried mushrooms as sacks in which they 

 convey their provisions to the river, and thence to their homes. 

 Nor is the structure of their nests less remarkable. From the 

 surface of the ground a long passage runs into the earthy similar 

 to that of the Icelandic houses, and terminates in a large and 

 deep hole, intended to receive any water that may find its way 

 through the passage, and serving at the same time as a place 

 for their dung. About two-thirds of the passage in, two dia- 

 gonal roads lead to their sleeping -apartment and the magazine, 

 which they always contrive to keep free from wet." 11 



By comparing Olafsen's statement with Henderson's, it will 

 be easily seen that the latter is not merely a confirmation of 

 the remarkable navigation of the Iceland mouse*, but also 

 gives further information as to the sacks, the dried fungi, 

 which the mice make use of, besides adding complete and 

 very significant information as to the burrows of these little 

 animals. These are described as consisting of three parts : a 

 long passage or gallery, like that of an Icelandic house, leads 



* A pictorial representation of the mode of navigation, from the de- 

 scriptions of Olafsen and Henderson, is to he found in a work which may 

 generally be consulted with advantage, ' The Pictorial Museum of Ani- 

 mated Nature ' (vol. i. p. 68. fig. 266). " v . 



Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 4, Vol. iii. 34 



