MAMMALIA. GL1RES. Rats and Mice. 241 



Moufe, of a tawny colour varied. with black; having a very fhort tail, and five toes on each 

 Foot. Syft. nat. 6d. xii. i. 80. Faun. Suec. ii. n."2o. Act. Stockh. 1740, 75. f. 45. — Mus Lemmus.. 

 Fabric. It. Norweg. 191. — Mus norwegicus, Norwegian Moufe, or Lemming. Raj. quad. 327. 

 Worm. Muf. 321. — Cuniculus norwegicus, or Norwegian Coney. Britf". quad. 145. n. 5. — Lem- 

 mus. Gem. quad. 731. Ol. Mag. Sept. 617. — Leem. Aldrov. dig. 436. Jonit. quad. 168. — Lem- 

 ming. Pontop. Norw. ii. 58. Sm. Buff. vii. 316. — Lemmus Rat. Penn. hiit. of quad. n. 317. 

 Aret. zool. i. 136. C — Lapland Marmot. Penn. fyn. of quad. 274. n. 202. t. 25. f. 2. Worm. hilt. 

 anim. Norweg. — Its anatomy. Bartholin, cent. ii. p. 301. 



Inhabits the mountains of Norway and Lapland. — They feed on grafs, the catkins of the dwarf 

 birch, the Lichen rangiferinus, or Rein-deer Liverwort, and other fuch vegetable productions ; in 

 fummer they form mallow burrows under the turf, and in winter they make fimilar long paflages un- 

 der the lhow in quelt of food ; for, as they do not lay up magazine's, and do not hybernate, they are 

 obliged to feek provifions in the rigorous winter of thefe northern climes. When they forefee, by 

 fome wonderful inftinct of nature, the approach of a very fevere winter, they leave their northern 

 haunts in autumn, and emigrate in immenfe multitudes into the lower parts of Norway and Sweden, 

 keeping a ftraight line in fpite of every obftacle, moving moftly in the night time, and making pro- 

 digious havock of every vegetable they are able to reach. In this journey, which takes place at uncer- 

 tain intervals, though generally about every ten years, they are deftroyed by eagles, hawks, foxes, and 

 other animals of prey, and numbers are drowned in paffing rivers, or lakes, which never interrupt 

 their courfe, even proceeding on into the fea ; from all thefe concurring caufes very few live to return 

 to their native mountains, and thus a check is put to their ravages, as it takes years to repair their 

 numbers fufficiently for another invafion. They are bold and fierce, fo as even to attack men and 

 animals, if they meet them in their courfe, and bite fo hard as to allow themfelves to be carried a 

 confiderable way, hanging by their teeth to a flick, before they will quit their hold. 



The head is pointed, having very long whifkers, fix of the hairs on each fide being longer and 

 ftronger than the reft ; the mouth is fmall, having two very long fore-teeth in each jaw, and the up- 

 per lip is divided; the eyes are fmall and black; the ears are fmall, rounded, and reclined backwards; 

 the fore legs are very fhort, having four flender hairy toes on each, and a long fharp claw, like a 

 cock's fpur, in place of the fifth or thumb ; the hind feet have five toes ; the fkin is very thin, and 

 the upper parts of the body are black and tawny, difpofed in irregular blotches ; the belly is white, 

 tinged with yellow : The female breeds feveral times a year, producing five or fix young ones at a 

 birth. 



/S. Siberian Lemming. — Mus Letumusjibiricus. 



Of a fmaller fize, and more uniform tawny colour. 



Inhabits the northern parts of the Uralian chain of mountains, and on the river Oby. — This fpecies 

 or variety of the Lemming is confiderably fmaller than the one juft defcribed : The colour is lefs di- 

 verfifiedj being chiefly tawny ; and it differs greatly in manners ; for it lays up in its burrows large 

 ffcores of provifions to ferve during winter. From this latter circumftance, it is probable that the Si- 

 berian Lemming,' though this is not mentioned, does not migrate like the former, or Norwegian 

 kind. 



Vol. I. « h 3%? 



