NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND LTD. P.O. BOX 2346, CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. C11 801

MEETINGS are held of the first Tuesday of the month (except June, July, August, and September) at 7:30 p.m. at the Farm Centre, 420 University Avenue, Charlottetown. Members and non-members are welcome. Please bring your coffee cup so that we will contribute as little as possible to the waste stream.

Membership is open to anyone interested in the natural history of Prince Edward Island. Membership is available at any meeting or by contacting the Treasurer at P.O. Box 2346, Charlottetown ClA 8C1 (phone 566-1289). Annual membership is $16 and renewals are due in January. Membership expiry dates are shown in the top right hand corner of the mailing label.

The Society is directed by a volunteer Executive elected from its members. 1998 Executive: President . . . . . ..Ray Cooke, Charlottetown 894-9695 Vice—President......Mary Beth Harris, Battery Point 569-2665

Past President............Barb Currie, Argyle Shore 675-3192 Secretary....... . . . . . . ..Jean Watts, North Wiltshire 621-0202 Treasurer....... . . . . . . . . . .....Jim Jenkins, Sherwood 566-1289

Directors - Program........Meike Keunecke, Red Head 961-2737

- Publicity ..Murray Russell, Belfast RR 3

NEWSLETTERS are normally published quarterly on recycled paper. Articles, notes, reports, drawings, bird sightings, plant records, etc. are welcomed from members and non-members. If you have seen anything unusual, please share it with us. It is important to have your observations recorded so that others may learn from them. All contributions should be sent to:

Dan McAskill, Newsletter Editor, NHSPEI Charlottetown RR # 5, Donagh, P.E.I. ClA 7J8

The next newsletter deadline is April 10, 1998.

Illustrations: The Society extends a special thanks to Dover Colouring Books, Birders Journal ( Peter Burke), and Donald Wilkinson for their illustrations.

The Natural History Society gratefully acknowledges support from the Department of Education and Human Resources which enables distribution of newsletters to schools and libraries desiring it. The Natural History Society is an affiliate of the Canadian Nature Federation and has representation on the board of the Island Nature Trust. The Society is a registered, non-profit organization (Part 2, Companies Act). Tax receipts are issued for donations to the Society and these funds are used to further the work of the Society.

Reprinting: Editors of other newsletters and teachers wishing to copy classroom materials are welcome to reprint articles from the Island Naturalist (except when copyrighted). Due acknowledgement must be provided to the Island Naturalist, the author and illustrator.

Cover Illustration:

This has been a tremendous winter for American Robin sightings with flocks of 20 to 30 birds being seen in many areas. The large amounts of mountain ash berries as well as good crops of crab apples, hawthorne, and other berries are believed to be the cause.

See Donald Wilkinson’s American Robin monograph on page 4.