relatives. And of course, guillemots are a pleasure to study, being gracefully built with an irredescent sheen to their plumage, and with a sweet, whistling call.

Our research involved much work from a blind. Early in the season, many adults were captured with foot snares and then marked for individual recognition. During the incubation period in July, David and I took shifts in the blind from dawn to dusk, watching arrivals and depart- ures of marked individuals at certain nests to determine incubation patterns for males and females. This work became less tedi- ous with the arrival of Winnie in late ° July. When the chicks hatched, we began studying the feeding cycles of the parents, <:::::7 the size and species of fish brought for the young, and the area where the individ- uals fished. ;

Blind work was broken up by nest checks and boat transects. Every week in July I checked each nest for the number and size of eggs present, and twice a week in August, Winnie and I weighed and measured chicks to determine growth rates. Mean- while, David counted birds on the water along certain routes to determine distri- butions of guillemots on the feeding grounds.

' Besides the information gathered on the theoretical aspects of David's thesis,

a great deal of practical data was gathered on guillemot life cycles. Such informa- tion is essential in determining when the birds are most susceptible to oil spills from tankers and drilling rigs. Further data of this type is needed on all seabirds so that recommendations may be given to the oil companies to protect the birds from devastation.

MISCELLANEOUS SIGHTINGS

Ch'pmunk - 7 or 8 coming to the door for peanuts and gathering seeds from feeder in Indian River through the summer (TC); 1 in Savage Harbour on July 17 and 1 in Sherwood on Aug. 29 (JUN); 1 in Milltown Cross on Sept. 6 (WEC).

Red sguirrel - 2 in Donagh on Sept. 4 (JDM). Varying hare - 1 in Indian River through the summer (TC). Mink - a black mink seen crossing a lawn in Kensington on Sept. 2 (TC).

Garter snake - a 15 cm long 1 week old snake seen in Peter's Road on Sept. 12. Its mother had been injured by a dog a few days before giving birth to 3 or 4 young. The mother and other siblings died a few days after birth (SM).

Yellow-spotted salamander - I seen in Little Sands on Sept. 12 (JCo). Smelts - seen in Tannery Creek on Apr. 3 (JDM). Trout - seen chasing gaspereaux at Deroche Point on July 16 (JDM).

Sticklebacks and leaches swimming in flooded dune slacks at Deroche Point on July 16 (JDM).

Fireflies - first of the season seen at Donagh on June 20 (JDM).

Ants - ant swarming flights at Deroche Point, Savage Harbour, Donagh and Pisquid on Sept. 4 and 5. Ring-billed Gulls, Grackles and Bluejays were hovering above the swarms and eating the ants (JDM).

Northern lights - an incredible display on Aug. 7 (JDM).

7