The Zoologist — November, 1867. 977 



itself into a hay-waggon, which is loaded by the rest and then dragged 

 by the tail to their dwelling ! It is true, says F. von Tschudi, that 

 marmots often have the hair rubbed from their backs, which, although 

 only caused by the narrowness of their burrows, may have given rise 

 to this story. During their winter sleep they are said by some of the 

 peasants to waken at every new moon, and others merely to turn over 

 and lie on the opposite side {Tschudi, l Thierleben der Alpenwelt,' 

 p. 532). 



Lemming.— The periodical invasion of Scandinavia by vast swarms 

 of these destructive little beasts, coming no one knows whence and 

 wandering no one knows whither, has given rise to the common belief 

 of the Norse peasants that the lemmings fall from the clouds in rain, 

 and strange tales are told of their even descending on the decks of 

 vessels at sea. In old days, according to Bishop Pontoppidan, an 

 annual feast was held at Bergen, called the " Mouse -festival," when 

 grave rites were performed to avert this plague. The peasants 

 believe that cattle will refuse to eat grass that has been touched 

 by a lemming, and that the latter are pursued and devoured by the 

 reindeer. 



Mule-rat. — There is said to be a strange superstition in Russia 

 regarding the sleper or mole-rat, namely, that if a man has the fortitude 

 to catch one in his naked hand and squeeze it to death in spite of its 

 teeth, he will be rewarded for his courage by being endowed with the 

 power of curing goitre by his touch (Wood, ' Popular Natural 

 History.'') 



Hare. — A misunderstood peculiarity in the anatomy of the hare 

 seems to have been the origin of the old belief that this animal annu- 

 ally changes its sex. Isaac Walton, in the "Compleat Angler," 

 makes Piscator say : — " There are many country people that believe 

 that hares change sexes every year, and there be very many learned 

 men think so too, for in their dissecting them they find many reasons 

 to incline them to that belief." It was an evil omen to meet a hare 

 when starting on a journey. " It is unlucky to travel," says the 

 worthy Thane of Coningsburgh in ' Ivanboe,' " when your path is 

 crossed by a monk, a hare, or a howling dog, until you have eaten 

 your next meal." The hare was a common form for witches to assume. 

 Isabel Gowdie, who was convicted of witchcraft in Nairnshire in IG62, 

 confessed to this practice (Ch am bers's 'Domestic Annals of Scotland, 

 vol. ii., p. 287), and informs us that the necessary charm was to repeat 

 the words — 



SECOND SERIES — VOL. II. 3 M 



