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     NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND NEWSLETTER 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Newsletter No. 7 April 1975 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     NEXT MEETING 
     
    
   
   
    
     Date; Tuesday, April 1, 1975. 
     
     Time: 8 p.m. 
     
     Place: Provincial Health Building, 3rd Floor, Room 47 and 48. 
     
    
   
   
    
     (Enter through underground garage on west side of the 
     
     Provincial Administrative Building). 
     
    
   
   
    
     Program: Wendell McKay, one of our directors, will conduct a 
     
     slide identification contest of wild flowers taken 
     
     near his home in Stanley Bridge. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     ‘SPRING 
     
    
   
   
    
     "Che swallow does not make a summer, but one skein of geese 
     
     cleaving the murk of a March thaw, is the spring." 
     
    
   
   
    
     A (Chickadee) whistling spring to a thaw but later finding him— 
     
     self mistakenn can retrieve his error by resuming his winter silence. 
     
     A chipmunk, emerging for a sunbath but finding a blizzard, has only 
     
     to go back to bed. But a migrating goose, staking several hundred 
     
     miles of black night on the chance of finding a hole in the lake (or 
     
     river) has no easy chance for retreat. His arrival carries the con- 
     
     viction of a prophet who has burned his bridges. 
     
    
   
   
    
     - Aldo Leopold 
     
     "A Sand County Almanac" 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     ANNOUNCEMENTS 
     
    
   
   
    
     ENVIRONMENT WEEK: Environment Week is May 19 — 24. Our society is. 
     
     making preparations for a very active week. We 
     
     hope to publish articles in the newspaper, have short 
     
     advertisements on television and schedule a series 
     
     of hikes led by our members. Are you interested in 
     
     leading a hike or participating? Please contact us 
     
     at our next meeting or phone 894-9595. 
     
    
   
   
    
     CANADA GEESE: The geese are back! ’The firét geese observed were on 
     
     March 18 at the West River CauseWay by Ian MacQuarrie of 
     
     New Dominion. Currently they number about 75 but will 
     
     rapidly increasegin numbers to approximately 2000. Be 
     
    
   
   
    
     prepared to be serenaded by wild goose honking on your 
     
     way to and from work. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     HOARFROST 
     
    
   
   
    
     Several times during March, we awakened to be greeted by a world 
     
     of white. Hoarfrost, which formed during the early morning hours, 
     
     had by dawn covered everything.with delicate white crystals. These 
     
     white crystals are formed by the passing of invisible water vapor in 
     
     the air to the ice crystal stage without first becoming liquid; In 
     
     late summer this type of water vapor causes early morning dew., The only 
     
     difference in the formation of hoarfrost and dew is the temperature 
     
    
   
   
    
     at the time they are formed. In both cases, the air has a feeling of 
     
     dampness and there is no wind.. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Photographers especially delight in capturing on film the mystical 
     
     presence of hoarfrost. The prime photography period is approximately 
     
     two to three hours after dawn while the sun is burning through the 
     
    
   
   
    
     early morning haze. By mid morning the sun‘s warmth usually causes the 
     
     frost to drop from the trees, fences and buildings and the world returns 
     
     to normal. 
     
    
   
   
    
     - Diane Griffin