THE LAPLAND MARMOT, or LEMMUS. 



traverfing the greateft mountains, and attacking every objed that would 

 attempt to turn them. If they meet a peafant they will leap as high as his 

 knees in defence of their progrefs, boldly lay hold of a ftick, and fuffer 

 themfelves to be fwung round before they will quit it. If they receive a 

 blow, they will immediately revenge the injury with their teeth, and make a 

 noife like a dog. 



Their march is generally performed in the night, as they devote the day 

 to reft, or to the deftru&ion of every root and herb they meet with. They 

 are even faid to infecl: the very ground, and it is aiferted that cattle will 

 inevitably perifti on tailing the grafs which they have touched. The 

 fuppofition, however, that they are themfelves poifonous, is certainly 

 erroneous; as they are frequently eaten by the Laplanders, who compare 

 their flelh to that of Squirrels. 



So numerous and truly formidable an enemy would certainly depopulate 

 the countries they pafs through, if their migration occurred frequently : this, 

 however, feldom happens above once or twice in twenty years, and even 

 then it fortunately turns out that their infatiable rapacity finally impels 

 them to deftroy each other. After they have utterly deftroyed their means 

 of fubfiftence, they are faid to divide into two bodies, which, like hoftile 

 armies, engage with incredible hatred, and continue fighting, or devouring each 

 other, till both parties are deftroyed, and the air is actually contaminated by 

 their putrid carcafes. Great numbers of them alfo fall a facrifice to the Foxes, 

 Weafels, Lynxes, and other animals which follow them during their migration. 



The ordinary length of the Lemmus is about five inches from the nofe 

 to the tail. Its head is pointed: its mouth fmall, and furnifhed with long 

 whifkers: its eyes are black: its ears fmall, and reclining backwards. Each 

 jaw contains two long cutting teeth, and the upper lip is divided. The fore 

 feet are divided into four llender toes, and a fharp claw, like a cock's fpur, 

 in place of a thumb: the hind feet are furniflied with five toes. The tkin 

 of the animal is extremely thin, and its tail fhort. The colour of the head 

 and body is black and tawny, difpofed in an irregular manner; the belly is 

 white, and ilightly tinged with yellow. 



