Memorial Fund, Bird Studies Canada, P.O. Box 160, Port Rowan, 0N NOE 1M0 (519—586- 3531) for details on how to apply.

The Canadian Forestry Service is one of a handful of research organizations worldwide that is genetically engineering conifer species. They have successfully "injected" trees with the gene that allows the tree to develop the insecticide Bt in its tissue and thus kill spruce budworms. [adapted from Solutions fa11.winter 1998]. This development will lead to some interesting debates as naturalists and scientists debate the development of trees which do not support certain insect growth as the insects plays an important role in feeding young birds and other animals.

Hilda Gossi reported increasing amounts of algae and mud in Winter Bay and St. Peters in areas where mussel culture had increased dramatically.

A Chickadee found dead on a road in Port Rowan on was handed 10 years earlier near the same area by the Bird Studies Canada staff. The world age record for a banded Chickadee is 12 years. (Long Point Bird Observatory 30:2, 1998)

The Butterflies of Canada by Ross A. Layberry, Peter W. Hall. & Donald Lafontaine has been published by the University of Toronto Press. It is 290 pages offering "a thorough compilation of the natural history and identification" of 293 Canadian species. (adapted from TFN478—11)

The Federation of Nova Scotia Naturalists announced that it will embark on a new, province wide project to map the distribution of reptiles and amphibians in Nova Scotia. The project will use a bird atlas 10 by 10 km grid for sampling. (adapted from Blomidon Naturalists Society 25:2)

Bird predation by rural cats in Wisconsin was studied by Drs J. Coleman and S. Temple. Their 4 year study indicated that in Wisconsin alone, an estimated 39,000,000 birds are killed by cats each year. The Pet Food Institute estimates the cat population in the U.S. to be 65.8 million cats. The American Bird Conservancy has commenced a program aimed at reducing this kill. They can be contacted at ABC, 1250 24th St. NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20037 OR web-page httpzwww.audubon.org/bird/cat/ ((adapted from Blomidon Naturalists Society 25:2).

MARITIME SHOREBIRD SURVEYS AT MACCALLUM'S POINT/HOLMAN'S ISLAND by Gisele Martin & Susanne Essense

Species 1998 Date Ju 14 Ju 22 Ju 27 Au 3 Au 16 Au 31 5g Z 5: 14 Q; 4

Semipalmated Plover 0 0 0 13 11 31 45 141 22 Golden Plover 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 O Black-bellied Plover 0 0 0 9 56 91 55 10 41 Ruddy Turnstone 0 6 2 10 12 1 0 4 3 Uillet 31 74 79 52 26 13 4 5 0 Greater Yellowlegs 0 7 0 1 1 3 0 4 0 Lesser Yellowlegs 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 Red Knot 0 4 8 8 23 18 29 9 11 Least Sandpiper 0 0 0 0 47 15 140 26 0 Semipalmated Sandpiper 0 0 0 30 28 5 0 24 2 Sanderling 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Other Species:

Great Blue Heron _ 71 68 71 96 68 Eastern Kingfisher - -" 3 1