1895.] MYODES LEMMUS: 5 
1. Early History. 
Å considerable amount of literary work concerning M. lem- 
mus, commencing so early as the middle of the 16th century, is 
already to hand. 
The first mention of this species is to be found in an old 
manuscript, published for the first time in Copenhagen, in 1860, 
by Konr. Gislason, which, according to the opinion of the editor, 
was written in the latter half of the 13th century). This 
vellum document gives a translation from the Bible of the 
Plagues in Egypt. It is stated therein: "På komo kvikvendi 
Pau er locuste heita ok sumir kalla *lomvndi”.” 
The locusts are thus regarded (by the translator), as iden- 
tical with our lemmings. The name Lomund, or Lomundr is 
still (amongst many similar names) partially used in many parts 
of Norway concerning this animal. 
The first author who speaks more fully of M. lemmus, is 
the Bavarian, Jacob Ziegler, in 1532. In his work? "Quæ 
I Konr. Gislason, *44 Prøver af oldnordisk Sprog og Literatur” (Kbhvn. 
1860). P. VII og 436. 
[Konr. Gislason, 44 Examples of the Old Norse Language and 
Literature (Copenhagen 1860)]. 
2? Edited anew by H. Hildebrand in ,Svenska Sillskapet för Anthro- 
pologi och Geografi, Geografiska Sectionens Tidskrift*, B. 1, 1878, 
No. 2. 
The original edition of *"Schondia” (i.e. Scandia or Scandinavia, 
really the "Beautiful Denmark”) is a literary curiosity. The speci- 
men from which the Hildebrand version has been printed, is in the 
possession of Baron Nordenskiöld. 
