42 



THE POLAR WORLD. 



dras ; but the Arctic fox ( Canis lagopus) almost exclusively inhabits the treeless 

 wastes that fringe the Polar Ocean, and is found on almost all the islands that lie 

 buried in its bosom. This pretty little creature, which in winter grows per- 

 fectly white, knows how to protect itself against the most intense cold, either by 

 seeking a refuge in the clefts of rocks, or by burrowing to a considerable depth 

 in a sandy soil. It principally preys upon lemmings, stoats, polar hares, as 

 well as upon all kinds of water-fowl and their eggs ; but when pinched by 

 hunger, it does not disdain the carcasses of fish, or the molluscs and crustaceans 

 it may chance to pick up on the shore. Its enemies are the glutton, the snowy 

 owl, and man, who, from the Equator to the poles, leaves no creature unmolested 

 that can in any way satisfy his wants. 



The lemmings, of which there are many species, are small rodents, peculiar 

 to the Arctic regions, both in the New and in the Old World, where they are 

 found as far to the north as vegetation extends. They live on grass, roots, the 

 shoots of the willow, and the dwarf birch, but chiefly on lichens. They do not 

 gather hoards of provisions for the winter, but live upon what they find be- 

 neath the snow. They seldom prove injurious to man, as the regions they in- 

 habit are generally situated beyond the limits of agriculture. From the voles, 

 to whom they are closely allied, they are distinguished by having the foot-sole 

 covered with stiff hairs, and by the strong crooked claws with which their fore 

 feet are armed. The best known species is the Norwegian lemming {Lemmus 

 noriDegicus), which is found on the high mountains of the Dovrefjeld, and 

 farther to the north on the dry parts of the tundra, where it inhabits small 

 burrows under stones or in the moss. Its long and thick hair is of a tawny 

 color^ and prettily marked with black spots. The migrations of the lemming 

 liave been grossly exaggerated by Olaus Magnus and Pontoppidan, to whom 

 the natural history of the North owes so many fables. As they breed several 

 times in the year, producing five or six at a birth, they of course multiply very 

 fast under favorable circumstances, and are then forced to leave the district 

 which is no longer able to afford them food. But this takes place very sel- 

 dom, for when Mr. Brehm visited Scandinavia, the people on the Dovrefjeld 

 knew nothing about the migrations of the lemming, and his inquiries on the 

 subject proved equally fruitless in Lapland and in Finland. At all events, it is 

 a fortunate circumstance that the lemmings have so many enemies, as their 

 rapid multiplication might else endanger the balance of existence in the northern 

 regions. The inclemencies of the climate are a chief means for keeping them 

 in check. A wet summer, an early cold and snowless autumn destroy them 

 by millions, and then of course years are necessary to recruit their numbers. 

 With the exception of the bear and the hedgehog, they are pursued by all the 

 northern carnivora. The wolf, the fox, the glutton, the marten, the ermine 

 devour them with avidity, and a good lemming season is a time of unusual 

 plenty for the hungry Laplander's dog. The snowy owl, whose dense plumage 

 enables it to be a constant resident on the tundra, almost exclusively frequents 

 those places where lemmings, its favorite food, are to be found ; the buzzards 

 are constantly active in their destruction ; the crow feeds its young with lem- 

 mings ; and even the poor Lap, when pressed by hunger, seizes a stick, and, 



