96 RODENTIA. 



parts beneath, and legs pale rust-colour ; throat white ; 

 feet and toes whitish. 



Inhabits Eussia, within the Polar Circle. 



N.B.— This may prove to be identical with the L. 

 Norvegicus, var. A., or Lemming de Lcvpponie of Desmarest, 

 described in this Manual. 



Lemmus lagurus. 



Lemmus lagurus, Desm. Mamm. Sp. 455 ; De Selys, Mieromm. 

 gurus, Pallas, Zoog. Ross. As. 



Description. — Pur ash-grey, with a black dorsal line ; no 

 collar ; five toes on the fore -feet ; claws rather weak ; 

 the thumb a horny tubercle ; muzzle very blunt ; lips 

 rather swollen ; ears apparent, rounded ; eyes moderate ; 

 legs rather slender ; tail very short, hairy, and truncated. 

 Pur fine and soft, about five lines in length on the upper 

 parts, which are pale ash-colour, mixed with some brown 

 hairs ; the dorsal line begins between the eyes, and runs to 

 the root of the tail, and is rather wider in the centre than 

 at the extremities ; the feet and the under parts of the 

 body are dull ashy and whitish ; whiskers whitish, shorter 

 than the head, arranged in five rows. In young animals 

 the general colour is lighter than in adults. 



Length of head and body, 3 inches 7\ lines ; head, 1 inch ; 

 ears, 3 lines ; tail (including the hair) in the male 6 lines, 

 in the female 4£ lines. — P. M. 



Migrates, like the Norway Lemming, in vast multitudes, 

 feeding chiefly on bulbs ; but also eats flesh, and even de- 

 vours its own species (Pallas). 



De Selys Longchamps, ' Index des Mammif. d'Europe,' 

 gives Eastern Eussia and Eussian Lapland, as well as the 

 Eiver Ja'ik, as its habitats ; Pallas says that it is found 

 from the Ja'ik to the Irtisk ; Desmarest, that it is very 

 common in the deserts of Tartary. 



