56 WOBTH AMEEIOAW FAUNA. [I^'o-^a, 



the type locality of the species, and the remainder at two localities on 

 the Barren Grounds, and on the 'Barrens' below Cape Churchill. 

 Many burrows were untenanted and there was usually nothing in their 

 appearance to indicate the fact. On this account trapping was found 

 to be less satisfactory in securing specimens than digging. A few 

 minutes' digging usually disclosed whether or not a burrow was 

 ■occupied. 



Gravellj' ridges, the remains of old raised sea beaches, occur through- 

 out the country bordering the Baj', and ai'e found inland many miles 

 irom the present coast line. Eichardson lemmings frequent mainly 

 these ridges. Their burrows differ widely from those of Leminus and 

 Microtns. Each seemed to be distinct and occupied by only a single 

 individual, except in the case of females accompanied l)y young. The 

 hole sometimes has its entrance beneath a piece of driftwood or at the 

 base of a dwarfed spruce. It usually proceeds at an angle of about 45° 

 for a foot or so, and then extends nearh' horizontally for 2 or sometimes 

 3 feet to the nest of grass and moss, which occupies a circular cham- 

 ber 4 inches in diameter. A side gallery a foot or two in length 

 usually branches off from the main burrow not far from the nest. 

 This is without a terminal chamber and is evidently used as a place of 

 refuge. In this retreat we usuallj^ found the owner of the burrow if 

 he was at home. 



The sand and gravel dug from the burrow is usually pushed out 

 into a long pile extending sometimes 2 feet from the entrance. No 

 runways are made, even when the burrows are near soft ground; 

 the animals evidently range indiscriminately^ over the ground. The 

 only food observed in the burrows Avas a few leaves of bear-berry 

 \ArctostapJiylos uva-umi). 



Three j^oung at a birth seems to be the usual number. Everj" litter 

 we found consisted of three, and in each pregnant female we secured 

 "were three embryos. The breeding season seemed to be nearly over, 

 however, so that pregnant females were not common. One, captured 

 on the Barren Grounds August 12, besides containing the usual three 

 :small embryos, was suckling three young. 



-Several young were kept for a few days by my brother. They 

 were very readily tamed and took food (rolled oats and crumbs of 

 bread) within a few hours of their capture, allowing him to hold them 

 on his hand while they ate. They sat on their haunches and held 

 the food in their fore feet like squirrels. These young lemmings 

 were very gentle and interesting in their ways, but the old ones 

 fought viciously when captured, and their sharp incisors and strong 

 jaws made them somewhat formidable. 



In the immediate vicinity of the post at Fort Churchill we found 

 tjnly a few lemmings, but the sandy ridges on the south side of the 

 river and on the point near the ruins of Fort Prince of Wales proved 



