THE LAPLAND MARMOT, or LEMMUS. 



Generic Characters. 

 Two cutting teeth in each jaw. 

 Four toes before, five behind. 

 Slender, taper tail, naked, or very flightly haired. 



Synonims. 

 Leem vel Lemmer, Gefner Quad. 731. 

 Le Leming, de Buffon, xiii. 314. 



Mus Norvegicus vulgo Leming, Raii Syn. Quad. 227. 

 Mus Lemmus, Linn. Syjl. 80. 



Cuniculus Caudatus auritus, ex flavo, rufo et nigro 

 variegatus, Brijfon Quad. 100. 



IN confequence of the uncertainty that exifts refpeding the native place 

 of this little animal, it has been ferioully fuppofed, by the ignorant and 

 fuperftitious, to have defcended from the clouds in lhowers of rain. 



The fpecies is only found in the northern parts of Europe, Alia, Norway, 

 Sweden, and Lapland, where it is fometimes feen in immenfe numbers, 

 overfpreading large traces of country, like the army of locufts defcribed by 

 the prophet Joel. Innumerable troops of them march together, in regular 

 lines, about three feet afimder, and, like a refililefs torrent, mark their 

 courfe with ruin and defolation. No oppofition impedes their progrefs; 

 fire and water are pafied with equal facility, and, though thoulands fliould 

 be deftroyed, thoufands would ftill fupply their place, and the number 

 would feem to fufFer no fenfible diminution. They bend their courfe 

 ftraight forward with incredible obftinacy, fwimming over lakes and rivers, 



