MAMMALS. 



277 



So far as I was able to learn their habits are almost identical with those of Arvicola, with 

 which they are associated. They lay up stores of roots for winter, cover the barren tundras with a 

 network of tunnel-like passages, and are driven in severe seasons to find refuge and food about 

 the trading-posts and the native villages. They are found in about equal numbers with the arvi- 

 colas, and, like the latter, are omnivorous, and will destroy one another when confined together- 

 IfTone of these mice were obtained by the Point Barrow party, aud the bleak barrens along the 

 extreme north coast are doubtless very rarely, if at all, frequented by them. 



Myodbs obensis Brants. Lemming (Esk. Ki-Jitg-{i-mi-u-tuJc). 



List of specimens. 



Biographical notes. — This hardy little animal rauges over all of the Alaskan mainland except 

 along the heavily-wooded northeastern extremity. They are found, also, more or less commonly 

 upon nearly or quite all of the Aleutian Islands, and are abundant upon Saint George Island, but 

 are unknown on Saint Paul, the adjacent and largest of the Pur Seal Islands. They are also found 

 on N"unevak, Saint Lawrence, and the Bering Straits Islands. They are abundant on the penin- 

 sula of Aliaska, and thence north around the entire northern coast of the Territory. In the interior 

 also tiiey are found in all of the moss-covered open country forming the Arctic barrens or tundra. 

 Although numerous in most localities where the ground is suflciently dry, they are particularly 

 abundant in some districts. Sanak and Saint George Islands are covered with a network of their 

 runways. On the mainland also scattered centers of abundance are found, but these vary from 

 year to year. Lemmings are inconspicuous and not often seen even when one is traveling over a 

 country where they are very numerous. At long intervals they appear in large numbers, making 

 one of their strange migrations, and are accompanied by hawks, owls, and va^rious predatory mam- 

 mals, all uniting in the destruction of the travelers. 



The Eskimo told me of an instance of this which took place not many years ago, and said 

 that the Snowy Owls were very abundant all the following winter, and nested very commonly 

 along the coast about Saint Michaels the following spring. Like the arvicolas the Lemmings lay 

 up stores of small bulbous roots for winter use. 



Several were brought me alive at Saint Michaels and were kept as pets for some time. They 

 were very amusing, inoffensive little creatures, and from the first allowed me to handle them freely 

 without attempting to bite. They were confined in a deei) tin box and made almost incessant ef- 

 forts to escape. Whenever I extended one finger near the bottom of their box they would stand 

 erect on their hind legs and try to reach it with their fore-paws. If successful they would climb up 

 into my hand, and from it to ray shoulder without a sign of haste or fear, but with odd curiosity 

 kept their noses continually snififlng and peered at everything with their bright bead-like eyes. 

 They were very expert in walking upon their hind legs, taking short steps and remaining erect a 

 considerable length of time if anything above their heads interested them. I often held my finger 

 just out of their reach and they would stand up, and in trying to reach it would make little leaps 

 up, sometimes clearing the floor half an inch. 



When eating they held their food in their fore-paws. Like the arvicolas they are omnivorous, 

 and in winter frequently come about the houses. The Eskimo children use their skins for doll 

 clothing and blankets. On the islands of Bering Straits their skins were particularly numerous 

 among the children. 



This species is abundant about Point Barrow and along the most barren parts of the Arctic 

 coast of the Territory. 



