J891.] MR. T. T. SOMERVILLE ON THE LEMMING. 657 



e^'ery juniper bush and under every suitable rock or big stone were 

 the signs of the Lemmings which had their burrows beneath, and 

 even the towns were full of them. We had no difficulty in 

 catching about a dozen, of which we placed three or four in each of 

 as many empty bird-cages. Next morning all or almost all were 

 dead. Many or most had wounds in the throat. We repeated our 

 attempts to preserve some, but they either died or were killed by 

 each other. We were told that, at this season especially, these 

 animals fought desperatelv, and that the usual result of each 

 combat was the death of both parties. This appeared to be true. 

 Moreover, we were assured that the new grass, with which we 

 supplied our captives, invariably caused the death of all the 

 Lemmings. This belief we have subsequently heard expressed 

 most firmly in every part of the country, and there really seems to 

 be some good reason for it. In the case in question the snow was 

 disappearing fast, the new grass was beginning to shoot up, and in 

 a very short time not a living Lemming remained anywhere. It 

 seems that the Lemmings when they reach the coast frequently 

 spend the winter there, but when the spring sets in they all die. 

 Professor Collett, of the Christiania University, cannot accept the 

 theory of the new grass causing the death of the Lemmings, but 

 asserts that this is due to a disease such as always appears when 

 animals multiply to an abnormal extent and which he cannot believe 

 is caused in any way by the grass. 



In 1887 we again came across some Lemmings on the mountain- 

 plateau beyond the Rjukan Foss, and we secured a couple. These, 

 laowever, escaped when we were on our way home, by gnawing 

 through the box in which they were placed, and we were unable to 

 get others. 



Towards the end of June this year we found Lemmings in great 

 force on the mountains around the " Gausdal Sanatorium," a hydro- 

 pathic establishment situated about 2500 feet above the sea within a 

 day's journey from Christiania. We were informed that a few weeks 

 earlier there had been hundreds for every one remaining ; and this was 

 easy to believe, for the number of dead bodies was in many places very 

 great. There were, however, still so many that it was scarcely 

 possible to walk for an hour without seeing several. 



On the 13th of July we secured a Lemming which, although 

 apparently not full-grown, seemed likely to have little ones. She 

 was from the first unusually docile, and appeared much satisfied 

 with the arrangements made for her. We had thoroughly scraped 

 and washed a cigar-box, hghtly filled it with moss, made an entrance- 

 hole and a couple of ventilators, and fastened down the lid ; this 

 we placed in her box while a more elaborate dwelling was being 

 prepared. Next day, 14th July, when about to transfer the Lem- 

 ming to the new box, we found that she had given birth to six little 

 ones. These were naked, pink, blind, and very ugly little wretches 

 with huge heads. The moss in the cigar-box had been formed into 

 a sort of round nest, and a quantity of paper, torn to fine shreds, 

 formed the lining, in the centre of which were the young. That day 



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