This animal, which grazes especially on grass, as it is said, does not go far to search for it when it finds it near, but spreading out continuously until it finds some, it happens that great numbers gather where there are pastures. It passes from one destroyed field to another by the same method, hunger driving it.

If they come across water in their way they cross by swimming and as the cultivated fields are close to rivers or the sea, when this multitude has eaten them, it begins to cross this water obstacle without measuring its strength against the current or the greatness of the distance. It goes into the water and after swimming a long time it drowns. This is the nature of its fate that destroys them following the devastation of the fields. Ital. 3771

In order that this animal be able to multiply, in spite of its enemies, to the point of harvesting the unripe fields, it needs the help of several winters in a row when lots of snow falls, without a thaw, something that happens very rarely but which can happen, as l have seen once since 1732. In that case, the snow protects them from the searches of their enemies, keeps them warm, conserves their food stocks, puts them in a state of being well nourished, consequently of commencing to breed early. One such winter produces a great number of them but not enough not to be able to find food in the area of land surrounding their nests and to force them to spread to the meadows and the cultivated fields. But if a second favourable winter follows the first, then the propagation of this number [i.e. from the

first winter] produces the multitude that spreads out, as l have said.

Winters of the opposite kind destroy them but good shelters always save some of them, both from the winter and from their enemies, which suffices to preserve the species, which does not stop living on in the woods. Moreover the animal that goes to the pasture does not go back (unless it is to return to its nest), but always goes forward, more or less in the direction it has taken and it does not spread out sideways until it encounters the grazing area. It also does not have a foot as sure in climbing as the mouse and is much less timid and a lot more stupid.

[fo|. 377v]

The care in destroying everything that can give shelter to this animal in the woods next to the cultivated fields will put a space between those that are farther away and the fields, which will protect those [i.e. farmers] from them who will take this precaution. The battle that we can wage against them, as soon as the chewed borders of the fields reveals their presence, can successfully destroy them (as l have done), and in the elimination of the first ones, all those that could be born to them during the course of the summer. In which case the chewed boundaries would produce even more grain.

159

The clearing of the countryside will remove in proportion the terrain where this animal survives; will concentrate, if I may put it this way, the animals that feed on them, which will equate to a multiplication of their enemies; will put between these animals and the fields, large rivers, or streams with rapid currents, which will make these barriers lethal to them; will supply from the meadows more food to fewer enemies, which will protect the fields; and [this] will make this plague disappear forever, especially if we also take the care to eliminate the shelters of this animal.

And in an extreme case, the loss of the fields next to the woods will protect the others, and this mishap, without consequence for the island, will be that much less unfortunate as it will fall on the negligent and will cause them in future to utilise the two remedies

proposed above. lfol. 3781

[PAC, AC, CHB, Vol. 29, fols. 377378]

Franquet 1751:

Cette ile est le passage de toutes sortes d’oiseaux; on y trouve beaucoup de merles au printemps; des perdreaux et des tourterelles en été; et en hiver des ortolans en quantité; quant au gros et menu gibier, il n’y a que des ours et des Iiévres; les renards, les martes, les visons et les cerviers y sont les seuls animaux dont on fasse des pelleteries; ils sont plus communs dans des années que dans d’autres; le renard noir, entre autres, y est moins rare qu’a la Grande— Terre, [p.131]

L’autre [fléau] fut causé par des mulots en 1750, H ne fut point général, mais ils firent beaucoup de dégats, ces animaux étaient entassés les uns sur les autres, les masions memes en étaient infestées, ils provenaient des hétrier et cherchaient l’eau ou ils se noyaient; la tradition du pays veut qu’il y a lieu, lorsque la faine est plus abondante une année que I’autre; de la il y a lieu de croire qu'on en sera délivré a mesure que le pays se dépouillera et se défrichera. lp. 1321

Rapport de L’Archiviste de la Province de Ouébec pour 7 923- 24. pp. 131—32.

La Roque 1752:

. mullots, ces animaux sont faits de la meme forme que les souris qui trouvent leurs domiciles dans nos campagnes de France et surtout dans la Champagne ou ils font a deux et trois pieds de profondeur dans l’intérieur des terres des amats de grains pour subsister un certains tems, et apres ils dorment six mois de l’année, c’est uniquement dans cette prevoyance que ceux de ce pays ne les ressemblent pas, car dés lors