Kelsia spinosa - a new provincial record. Z. Megamelus distinctus - a new provincial record. B.

Pissonotus ?aphidioides - a new provincial record. B. (One uniquely coloured individual that may represent an undescn'bed species). P. dorsalis - H.

Prokelisia crocea - E, G, J, R, X.

P. dolus - a new provincial record. G, R, X. Stenocranusfelfi - a new provincial record. B S. pallidus - a new provincial record. B.

DERBIDAE Otiocerus caquebertii - a new provincial record. H,T

DERBIDAE

Otiocerus coquebertii - a new provincial record. ANOTHER NEW ISLAND PLANT RECORD: by Kate MacQuarrie

In a heavily settled province such as Prince Edward Island, it may seem strange that there are plant and animal species yet to be discovered. It’s easy to become complacent and assume that we know all there is to be known about our province. Fortunately, recent new provincial records of birds, dragonflies, leaflioppers and plants serve to remind us that this is not the case!

In a summer spent mostly in the field, I discovered many new sites for the least common members of our flora. Even more exciting were discoveries of species not previously recorded on P.E.I. In the last issue of Island Naturalist, the presence of Ground Nut (Apios americana) on Lennox Island was reported. Since that time, another new species has been uncovered in Prince County: Braun’s Holly Fern (Polystz‘chum braunii) along the Mill River, just west of Bloomfield Provincial Park.

Braun’s Holly Fern is a member of the Christmas Fern genus, so named because their green fronds persist well into the winter season. Some naturalists may be familiar with our rare Christmas Fern, Polystichum acrostichoides, and its distinctive thumb-like lobe at the base of the pinnae (leaflets). Braun’s Holly Fern shares this signature, but the fronds are twice-pinnate and the stipe (stalk) is very scaly. It was this scaly stipe and narrow, dark green fronds that caught my attention along the Mill River. Braun’s Holly Fern is rare in most of New Brunwick (uncommon in northern NB), and common in Cape Breton and Nova Scotia’s Fundy coast. In Canada, it is also found in Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. It does occur in Alaska and the northern continental United States, and is considered endangered or threatened in some (Minnesota and Wisconsin, respectively, for example).

The habitat in which it was found is not typical of Prince Edward Island. This section of the Mill River riparian zone is a very steep, moist, rocky ravine, well-shaded by an overstory of hemlock, beech, birches and maples. Interestingly, a number of provincially rare species were abundant here including Agrimony (Agrimom‘a grjyposepala) and Wood Goldenrod (Solidagoflexicaulis), neither of which had been previously recorded in this area. Because this is the only known Island location of Braun’s Holly Fern, Island Nature Trust will contact the owners of this and adjacent properties to encourage protection of the site.

A voucher specimen was collected and will be forwarded to the National Herbarium in Ottawa. Photographs and slides of Braun’s Holly Fern will remain on-file at Island Nature Trust.

THE FIFTH ANNUAL AUTUMN BIRDING CLASSIC: by J. Dan McAskill

This marks the fifth year that the Natural History Society has put the skills of a birding team together to partner with the Island Nature Trust is raising funds for natural areas conservation. This year the team was composed of Ray Cooke, Roberta Palmer, Eric Marcum, Michelle Johnston, and Dan McAskill. They hit the field at 3:00 am on October 2nd, 1999. Their counting day concluded at 9:20 pm the that evening and, during those hours, the team was able to record 93 bird species.

The team covered all habitats during the day which started with owl responses to taped calls. The route continued to East Point then back along the North Shore to St. Peter's and ended in the National Park before