240 A SPRING AND SUMMER IN LAPLAND. 



Sund., and the L. rutilus, Pall.) I was only able 

 to identify the former at Quickiock, and there it was 

 considered very rare. It is met with, however, 

 both in Lulea and Tornea Lapmark, principally in 

 the birch regions, but I have killed them pretty 

 high up on the fells. This pretty little species is 

 about 3| inches long, the tail about 1 inch. The 

 colour is red-brown along the back and crown of 

 the head, sides and under parts ash grey, with a 

 very plain division of colour. It can be easily con- 

 founded with the Lemmus rectilus, but the colour 

 is rather different, the tail is much shorter, the 

 head appears much larger, the ears are shorter. 

 All these differences are very apparent when two 

 specimens of the different kinds are laid together. 

 But it is very difficult to say decidedly what the 

 species is before a careful examination ; and as I had 

 no work on the Swedish mammalia with me, my 

 plan was to preserve all the specimens I could fall 

 in with, and lay them aside for careful examination 

 when I arrived home. This I have now done, and 

 I am very much deceived if we shall not find even 

 another species as yet undescribed ; but the size 

 as well as the shades of colouring vary so much in 

 this class, that it is very difficult to decide which 

 is a variety, which a new species ; and nothing 

 but great practice and research can effect this ob- 

 ject. I am sorry to say that I paid far too little 



