.. 6 .. Most of the islands are probably uninhabited by mammals, although . some have resident small rodents. Arctic and red foxes occasionally stray across the ice to the islands, but do not permanently inhabit them. The most important vertebrates in the area are not terrestrial but marine. The early Basques settlers found whales and walruses to be so abundant that their fishery was based as much on these creatures as on cod.

Seabirds were so numerous that their breeding colonies sometimes covered entire islands. Over the centuries of exploitation, the walruses were exterminated, and the whales and seabirds were reduced to remnants of their former populations.l

Although the North Shore of the Gulf is not the paradise for marine fauna it once was, visitors may still thrill to the spouting whales and teeming seabirds — all in a sub—arctic setting only 400 kilometers north of the north shore of Prince Edward Island.

David Cairns 60 Newland Crescent , Charlottetown

The Natural History Soeiety of Prince Edward Island Newsletter is published eight times per year. If you have seen something unusual, please share it with us. It is important to have your observations recorded where others will learn of them.

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Newsletter Editor

c/o Kathy Martin

Biology Department

University of Prince Edward Island Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Phone - 892-4121, ext. 253

Society Address

PO. Box 2346 Charlottetown Prince Edward Island

Phone ~89479595 Membership Rates: Regular — $3; Student -Sl,' Family - $4 The Natural History Society gratefully acknowledges financial assistance from the Department of

Tourism, Parks and Conservation which enables us to distribute newsletters to schools as well as to our membership.