244 
M U S. 
and well furred ; the fnout very obt-ufe ; the ears very 
fimall, rounded, and hid in the fur; the eyes final! ; the 
neck ihort and broad ; the body thick ; and the limbs 
Ihort and ftout, efpecially the fore-legs : the fore-feet are 
broad, furniffied with five toes, which have ftrong, com- 
prefied, and fomewhat-crooked, claws, of which the three 
middle ones are longer than the reft: on the hind-feet are 
alio five toes, with fmaller claws than thofe of the fore¬ 
feet : the tail is very fliort, thick, cylindric, obtufe, and 
covered with ftrong hairs, difpofed like thofe of a pencil 
at the tip. 
The natural or genera! refidence of the lemming is in 
the alpine or mountainous parts of Lapland and Norway, 
from which tnulls, at particular but uncertain periods, it 
defcends into the plains below, in immenfe troops, and 
by its incredible numbers becomes a temporary fcourge 
to the country; devouring the grain and herbage, and 
committing dcvaftations equal to thofe caufed by an army 
of iocufts. Thefe migrations of the lemming feldom hap¬ 
pen oftenerthan once in ten years, and in fome diftrifits 
ilill lefs frequently ; and are fuppofed to arife from an 
unufual multiplication of the animals in the mountainous 
parts they inhabit, together with a defedl of food ; and, 
perhaps, a kind of inftimSlive prefcience of unfavourable 
feafons ; and it is obfervable that their ciiief migrations 
are made in the autumn of fuch years as are followed by 
a very 1 'evere winter. The inclination, or inftin£live fa¬ 
culty, wiiich induces them, with one confent, to aflemble 
from a whole region, colieft tliemfelves into an army, and 
defcend from the mountains into the neighbouring plains, 
in the form of a firm phalanx, moving on in a ftraight 
line, refoiutely furmounting every obftacle, and undif- 
mayed by every danger, cannot be contemplated without 
aftonifhment. All who have written on the fubjeft agree 
that they proceed in a diredl courfe, fo that the ground 
along wiiich they have palled appears at a diftance as if it 
bad been ploughed ; the grals being devoured to the very 
roots, in numerous ftripes, or parallel paths, of one or tw r o 
fpans broad, and at the diftance of fome ells from each 
other. This army of mice moves chiefly by night, or 
early in the morning, devouring the herbage as it pafles, 
in fuch a manner, that the furface appears as if burnt. 
No obftacles which they happen to meet in their way, 
have any effect in altering their route; neither fires, nor 
deep ravines, nor torrents, nor marfties, nor lakes : they 
proceed obftinately in a ftraight line; and hence it hap¬ 
pens that many thousands perifli in the waters, and are 
found dead by the ftiores. If a rick of hay or corn occurs 
in their paflage, they'eat through it; but, if rocks inter¬ 
vene, which they cannot pafs, they go round, and then 
relume their former ftraight direction. If difturbed or 
purfued while fwimming over a lake, and their phalanx 
feparated by oars or poles, they will not recede, but keep 
fwimming diredtly on, and foon get into regular order 
again ; and have even been fometimes known to endea¬ 
vour to board or pafs over a veil'd. On their pail’age over 
land, if attacked by men, they will raife themfelves up, 
uttering a kind of barking found, and fly at the legs of 
their invaders ; and will fallen fo fiercely at the end of a 
flick, as to fuffer themfelves to be fwung about before 
they will quit their hold ; and are with great difficulty put 
to flight. 
It is faid that an inteftine war fometimes^takes place in 
thefe armies during their migrations, and that the animals 
thus deftroy each other. The major part, however, of 
thefe holts, is deitroyed by various enemies, and particu¬ 
larly by foxes, owls, hawks, and weefeis, exclufive of the 
numbers which periih in the .waters; fo that but a fmall 
number furvive to return, which they are fometimes ob- 
ferved to do, to their native mountains. 
In their general manner of life they are not obferved to 
be of a focial difpofition, but to refide in a kind of fcat- 
lered manner, in holes beneath the furface, without lay¬ 
ing up any regular provifion, like fome other animals of 
this tribe. They are fuppofed to breed feveral times in a 
year, and to produce five or fix at once. It has been ob¬ 
ferved that the females have fometimes brought forth 
during their migrations, and have been feen carrying 
fome in their mouths, and others on their backs. In 
fome parts of Lapland they are eaten, and are faid to re¬ 
ferable fquirrels in tafte. It was once believed that thefe 
animals fell from the clouds at particular feafons, and 
fome have affirmed that they have feen a lemming in its 
defcent; but an accident of this kind is eaiiiy accounted 
for, on the fuppofition of a lemming efcaping now and 
then from the claws of fome bird which had feized it, and 
thus falling to the ground; a circumftance which is faid 
not unfrequently to take* place when the animals are 
feized by crows, gulls, &c. 
38. Mus Hudfonius, the Hudfon’s Bay moufe: no 
ears ; tail ihort; alh-coloured above, white beneath, with 
yellowiih-brown dorfal itripe, and pentadaflyle hind-feet. 
The length of this fpecies is about five inches, and the 
colour a pale cinereous, tinged with tawny, and marked 
with a brownifh dorfal itripe : the fur is iong and very 
foil; the limbs fliort and ftrong ; the tail very fliort, and 
terminated by briitly hairs. The female is fmaller than 
the male, which is aifo diftinguiffied by the fuperior fize 
and ftrength of the two middle claws of the fore-feet, 
which are not only very thick and ftout, but are bifid at 
their extremities. This fpecies is defcribed by Dr. Pallas, 
but only from fome ikins which were received from La¬ 
brador ; fo that its particular hiftory and manners are un¬ 
known. 
39. Mus Lenae, the Lena moufe: tail fliort, covered 
with coarfe hair; toes four before, five behind; body- 
white. Inhabits the banks of the river Lena, in Ruffia, 
in the'government of Irkutik. It is about three inches 
long. 
40. Mus maulinus. This will be found among the 
Marmots, to which Gmelin thinks it may poffibly belong, 
though he has left it here. Turton has removed it. See 
Arctomys maulinus, vol. ii. p. 129. 
IV. Cheeks pouched. 
41. Mus acredula, the Siberian hamfter, or Yaikrat: 
yellowifh-grey above, whitifli beneath, with pouched 
cheeks and linuated ears. This fpecies is a native of Si¬ 
beria, and particularly of the deferts about the Yaik. It 
meafures only four inches, and the tail about three- 
quarters of an inch. The upper parts of the body are of 
a cinereous yellow mixed with brown, and the underparts 
whitifli : the face alfo is whitifli: the fnout is blunt, the 
ears moderately large, the eyes full, and the body fliort 
and thick. On the fore-feet are four toes, and on the 
hind-feet five, all furniflied with claws of mode rate ftrength. 
This animal is laid to make its excurfions for food chiefly 
by night, confining itfelf during the greateft part of the 
day to its burrow. 
42. Mus cricetus, the common or German hamfter: 
reddilh-brown, with three white fpots on each fide; ab¬ 
domen black. Of the pouched rats, this fpecies is the 
moft remarkable; and indeed is the onty European fpecies 
provided with thofe peculiar receptacles, which are lituated 
on each fide the mouth, and when empty are fo far con- 
traded as not to appear externally, but when filled refera¬ 
ble a pair of tumid bladders, having a fmootli veiny fur¬ 
face ; concealed, however, under the fur or Ikin of the 
cheeks, which bulge out extremely in this ftate. They 
are fo large as to hold the quantity of a quarter of a pint, 
Englilh meafure. 
The general fize of the hamfter is nearly that of the 
common rat; but it is of a much thicker form, and has a 
fliort tail. Its colour is a pale reddilh-brown above, and 
black beneath. The muzzle is whitifli, the cheeks red- 
uifli, and on each fide the body are three moderateiy-large 
oval white fpot6, of which thofe on the ffioulders are the 
Jargeft : the ears are moderately large and rounded, and 
the tail alraoft bare, and about three inches Jong- • on the 
fore-feet are four toes, with a claw in place of a fifth 5 and 
on 
