on the nearby island of Greenland. His
father, Erik the Red, had started a
Viking settlement there.
There are two different tales of Leif’s
North American voyage. According to
one tale, he got lost while on a mission
to bring the Christian religion to Greenland.
He landed on an unknown shore
that he called Vinland because he saw
grapevines there. Vinland might have
been where Nova Scotia, Canada, is
today.
According to a second tale, another
Viking saw Vinland first and told Leif
about it. In about AD 1000 Leif got
together a group of explorers. The group
reached Vinland and other places as
well. Leif called one place Helluland.
Helluland might have been the part of
eastern Canada that is now called Labrador.
Leif named another place Markland.
Markland might have been the
island of Newfoundland. Many scholars
believe the second tale is closer to the
truth.
Leif returned to Greenland after his
famous voyage. Other Vikings later
started settlements in North America.
Scientists have found traces of a Viking
settlement on the island of Newfoundland.
These settlements did not last
long, however. They were gone long
before the next group of Europeans
arrived in the area in the late 1400s.
#More to explore
Americas, Exploration and Settlement of
the • Vikings
Lemming
Lemmings are small rodents that
resemble mice. They live in the northern
parts of North America, Europe, and
Asia. They are known for migrating, or
An illustration from the 1800s shows Leif
Eriksson and his Viking ship at sea.
Lemmings usually live on their own or in
small groups. But sometimes large numbers
of lemmings gather together and move to a
new area.
126 Lemming BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
moving from place to place, in huge
groups.
Lemmings are about 4 to 7 inches (10 to
18 centimeters) long, including the
short tail. The body is chunky, which
helps the animal stay warm in cold
weather. The soft fur is grayish or reddish
brown on top and lighter below.
The fur gets thicker in winter to help
keep them warm. Many lemmings living
in the Arctic have fur that turns white in
winter.
Lemmings live in holes that they dig in
the ground. In winter they tunnel under
the snow. Lemmings eat mosses, roots,
and grasses.
Every three or four years the number of
lemmings increases greatly. Scientists are
not sure why. When the lemming population
grows, some lemmings migrate to
new areas.
Many people believe that lemmings purposely
drown themselves during their
migrations by plunging into the sea.
This is untrue. In fact, lemmings try to
avoid water. But sometimes a river or
another body of water gets in their way.
Then they might drown accidentally
while trying to swim.
#More to explore
Migration, Animal • Rodent
Lemon
Lemons are tart, yellow fruits that grow
on a small tree or spreading bush. Like
limes, oranges, and grapefruit, lemons
are citrus fruits. The lemon plant’s scientific
name is Citrus limon.
Lemons grow in many warm regions of
the world. Major lemon-growing countries
include India, Argentina, Spain,
Iran, and the United States. In the
United States most lemons grow in California
and Arizona.
Lemon trees grow to about 10 to 20 feet
(3 to 6 meters) high. They produce
sweet-smelling flowers that are white on
top and reddish purple on the bottom.
The fruits, or lemons, grow from these
flowers.
Lemons are shaped like an oval with a
bump on one end. Their rind, or skin, is
thick. It starts out green and turns yellow
when the fruit is ripe. Inside each
fruit is juicy flesh called pulp.
The juice of lemons is tart because it
contains a substance called citric acid.
Lemon juice is rich in vitamin C as well.
People use lemon juice to flavor pastries,
pies, vegetables, fish, and many other
foods. They mix it with water and sugar
Ripe lemons hang from a lemon tree.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Lemon 127
to make lemonade, a popular warmweather
drink. People also use lemons to
make fruit jellies, soaps, perfumes, and
medicines.
#More to explore
Citrus Fruit • Grapefruit • Lime
• Orange
Lemur
Lemurs are mammals known for their
large eyes and monkeylike bodies. They
belong to the group of animals called
primates, along with lorises, tarsiers,
monkeys, apes, and humans. There are
about 18 species, or types, of animal in
the lemur family. But the term lemur
also applies to about 50 related species,
including dwarf lemurs, mouse lemurs,
koala lemurs, indris, and aye-ayes.
Lemurs are found only on the islands of
Madagascar and Comoros off the eastern
coast of Africa. Most lemurs live in
trees in forests. But the ring-tailed lemur
lives in rocky areas.
Most lemurs have foxlike faces and long
back legs. They range in length from
about 2.5 inches (6 centimeters) in one
kind of mouse lemur to nearly 27.5
inches (70 centimeters) in the indri.
This does not include the tails. The
bushy tails of some lemurs are longer
than their bodies. But the indri has a
very short tail. The ring-tailed lemur is
the only lemur with a striped tail. Most
lemurs have a woolly coat that is mainly
reddish, gray, brown, or black.
Lemurs are gentle and often social animals.
Some species live in groups of 10
