186 The White Bear. 



guinea-pig — is very like the hare in its habits, but is generally 

 found in large families. They have been seen at all seasons, and 

 in vs^inter are perfectly white ; but feeding and living as they da^ 

 under the snow, it is only the keen-nosed fox, or Esquimaux dog, 

 that can detect their position and enjoy the sweet morsel they 

 afford. 



In summer, generally about the end of May, or early in June 

 they have a; peculiar habit of going off the land on to the frozen, 

 surface of the sea. They dp not seem to have any definite object 

 in doing so, and cannot be said to be migTating, Possibly the 

 thaws induce them to leave the laiid : the seamen, in their quaint 

 way, used to say, " Them blessed little lemmings must be arter 

 salt, I should think, Sir !" and really there seemed to be no other 

 way of accounting for their presence on the floe at such a season- 

 of the year. The writer often found them steering off shore from 

 the north coast of Melville Island,- leaving comparative plenty 

 behind them, and as far as the eye could see on a clear day, from 

 land of considerable height, there was nothing in theshape of terra 

 firma whither they were bound. When thus exposed upon the 

 %pen floe, owls, gulls, and foxes pick them up for food. Can it be 

 .'that Providence occasiqus this exodus for the purpose of feeding' 

 ^ these creatures, and thinning down the numbers of an animal 

 which would otherwise _ multiply exceedingly, and eat up all the 

 vegetation of a naturally sterile region ? 



_ One would hardly suppose so tiny a creature would serve as food 



to such large animals as Polar bears, but that it is so, the following 



^ eitract from my journal will show ; the place referred to being a- 



"* valley on the north-east side of Bathurst Land debouching into^ 



Queen's Channel : — 



The White Bear — Saw some shoals and ih& Guh and Bear 

 Islets to seaward. Made sail to a rattling breeze, and favour- 

 , ed by the ice, we went along at a good pace until 3h. *30m. a.m*, 

 when, seeing some drift-wood lying about, which it was importai,nt 

 should be examined, I halted and encamped, dispersing the men 

 along the beach to bring all in they could find. Walking land- 

 ward to obtain a view from a hill, I was startled to see a she-bear 

 and two cubs some distance inland. Watching them carefully, I 

 was not a little interested to see the mother applying her gigantic 

 muscular power to turning over the large blocks of sandstone which 

 strewed the plain, and under which the unlucky lemmings at this 

 season take shelter. Direetly the she-bear lifted the stones, which 



