:}0 MU. W. U. CKOTCll ON XUK MIGIIAXION AND 



wstudded with dead loiniuings, which they had killed but not 

 eaten, probably having plenty of more delicate food. In the 

 higher Ijelds I noticed that the Eeindeer had often killed the lem- 

 mings, apparently by stamping upon them, though I do not believe 

 their bodies are ever eaten. 



It was a curious sight, when the whole visible landscape was of 

 a spotless whiteness, to see an apparently black form suddenly 

 spring from the surface and scurry over the snow and again 

 vanish. I found some of the holes where this feat was executed 

 were at least 5 feet in depth ; and when the snows of eight months 

 bad melted beneath perpetual daylight and almost perpetual sun- 

 shine, it became easy to trace the long lines formed in the grass 

 by these improvident excursionists. I use the word improvident, 

 because no stores were accumulated by them as by the common 

 field-mouse ; but yet tl\is probably only necessitated foraging ex- 

 cursions whilst their congeners were lazily sleeping. 



In this country we tail to conceive bow much active life goes 

 on beneath the snow ; but in northern latitudes its warm pro- 

 tection serves as a roof to numerous birds, quadrupeds, and 

 insects, who arc thus enabled to liud au otherwise impossible sus- 

 tenance. It is only at the commencement of the winter that the 

 footprints on the snow tell of the ceaseless struggles and surprises 

 which render the long autumnal nights so iatal to all but preda- 

 ceous animals. 



It does not appear that the migration of tlie lemmings is ever 

 completed in one year. In this case, and in all the others that 

 I have noticed or heard of, the animals came during the summer. 

 There was no " procession," no serried bands undeterred by ob- 

 stacles ; but there was a continuous invasion of teu^porary settlers, 

 which reared their young two or three times in the summer, and, 

 with reinforced numbers, spread even further westward. They 

 certainly did not mine through hay- and corn-stacks, as those 

 lamiliai" objects are all but unknown in Norway. 



On calm mornings my lalvC, whicli is a mile in width, was often 

 thickly studded with swimming lemmings, every head pointing 

 westward ; but I observed that when the boat came near enough 

 to fri'^hten tliem, they would lose all idea of direction, and fre- 

 quently swim back to the bank they had left. When the least 

 wind ruffled the water, it was all over with the swimmers ; and 

 never did a frailer bark tempt a more treacherous sea, as the wind 

 swept daily down the valley and wrecked all who wore then afloat. 



