THE GRAY SQUIRREL. 227 
winter not one is to be found in a district 
where there were millions in the preceding ' 
year. In their marches, when they come to 
a lake or river, they will lay hold of a piece of 
pine or birch bark,, which they draw to the 
edge of the water, mount upon it, and consign 
themselves to the influence of the wind and 
Waves. They erect their tails, which serve 
for sails to their precarious barks, often con- 
sisting of many thousands : in case of unfa- 
vourable weather dreadful havoc is made 
among the adventurous voyagers, and the 
Wreck enriches the Laplanders, who find the 
dead bodies washed on shore. 
In North America the gray squirrels do 
great mischief among the plantations, but es- 
pecially among the maize, climbing up stalks, 
fearing the ears in pieces, and eating only the 
Sweet kernel in the inside. In this way they 
"’ill destroy the whole crop of a farmer in a 
single night. In some of the United States, 
