WHirB FOX. 91 



lair, and we secured her. The flora in the neighbourhood 

 of this den was remarkably rich, the soil having been 

 fertilized by the presence of the Foxes. — As we rested 

 there, many Lemmings popped up from their holes, and, 

 undismayed by our presence, commenced feeding on the 

 plants. We noticed that numerous dead Lemmings were 

 scattered around. In every case they had been killed in 

 the same manner : the sharp, canine teeth of the Foxes 

 had penetrated the brain. Presently we came upon two 

 Ermines killed in the same manner. These were joyful 

 prizes, for up to this time we had not obtained these 

 animals in North Grinnel Land. Then, to our sur- 

 prise, we discovered numerous deposits of dead 

 Lemmings ; in one hidden nook under a rock we pulled 

 out a heap of over fifty. We disturbed numerous ' caches ' 

 of twenty and thirty, and the earth was honeycombed 

 with holes, each of which contained several bodies of 

 these little animals, a small quantity of earth being 

 placed over them. In one hole we found the greater 

 part of a Hare hidden away. The wings' of young brent 

 geese were also lying about ; and as these birds were at 

 that time just hatching, it showed that they must have 

 been the results of successful forays of prior seasons, and 

 that consequently the Foxes occupy the same abodes 

 from year to year. I had long wondered how the Arctic 

 Fox existed during the winter." 



Dr. Eichardson, p. 85, quoting Captain Lyons, 

 writes: — "When the animal is standing still, the hind 

 legs are so placed as to give the idea of weakness in the 

 loins, which is certainly not the case, as few animals 

 can make more powerful leaps. The general weight 

 was about eight pounds, although some were as low as 

 seven, and a few as high as nine pounds and a half 

 when in good case. 



