Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-03
a Curious Fact I'm Natural History

IT.
The lemming multplIes 50 rapidly that in
the course of ten or twelve seasons food becomes
scarce, and, on the approach of some winter
when the food question has become one of life
or death, the over stocked market IL relieved by
an eXpedient unparalleled in its nature among
four footed animals This singular little crea-
ture is so local in its habits, that, unless under
the circumstances we are about to nsrrate, il
never leaves the mountain regions to establish
itself on the plains, where food is more album
dant. The inhuman suggestion of a modern
writer, that our paupers should be packed into
rotten ships which should be sent GU { TO sea and
scuttled, is something like the method adopted
by the Jennings themselves, to avert the fam
Inc which threatens to annihilate the entire
species. When the time for the settlement of
the question OF partial determination for the
oenent OF the race, or total extermination by
starvation can no longer be delayed, they as
semble in countless thousands in some of the
mountain valleys leading into the plains and
the vast army OF martyrs being selected, they
pour across the country in a straight line, liv-
ing stream, often exceeding a mile in length
and many yards in breadth. devouring every
green thing in their line of march; the country
over which they have passed looking as IL il had
been plowed or burned with fire. They arch
principally by night and in the morning rest
ing during the day, but never seek to settle in
any particular locality, however abundant food
may be in it, for their final destination is the
distant sea, and nothing amin ate or inanirHate
fit can be surmounted, retards the straight on
ward tide of their advance. When the reindeer
gets enveloped in the living stream, they will
not even go round its limbs, but bite its legs
until, In lts agony and terror, II plunges IN adv
about, crushing them to death in hundreds and
even killing them with its teeth. If man at
tempts b stem the living torrent, they leap up
on his legs; and If he lay about him with stick
they seize it with their teeth, and hold on to il
with such determined pertinacty that he may
swing 1t rapidly round his head without COM
polling them to loosen their hold. II a corn or
hay rick be IN the way, they eat their way
through II; and on arriving at the smooth face
OF rock, they pass round it. forming up in
close column again on the other side. Lakes
however broad, are boldly entered, and the pas
sage attempted, and rivers. however deep and
rapid, are fOrded. impediments in the water
being as boldly faced as those on shore. They
been known to pass over a boat and TO climb on
tothe deck OF ship, passing without stop or
stay into the water on the furthest side. Their
natural instincts are not in allowance during
migration, as females are frequently seen ac-
companied by their young and carrying in their
teeth some one which had succumbed TO the ia
hgues OF the march, which might not be STAYED
until the helpless one was recruited. Foxes,
lynxes, weasels, kites, owls, &c, hover on their
line of march and destroy them in hundreds
The fish in the rivers and lakes Law a heavy toll
upon them, and vast numbers are drowned and
die by ether accidents in "fOod and field" but
the survivors, impelled by some irresistible in
stnct, press onward with no thought of stop-
ping, until they lose themselves in the sea sink
ing in its depths as they become exhausted, in
such numbers that for miles their bodies thrown
up by the tide, lie putrefying on the shore.
Comparatively few ever return to their native
haunts, but there can be no doubt that some do
so, as they have been seen on the return, pursu-
ing their backward journey in the same fearless
and determined manner as their advance.