Comments: 
     
    

    
     The ability of var to survive in heavy shade make this a good species to 
     
     develop understory cover. As the primary host of spruce budworm, it is an important 
     
     food source for many birds. This species tends to collapse out of mixed species 
     
     stands at about 60 years of age. It forms either case hardened (hard on the outside, 
     
     soft on the inside) or soft snags (rotting from the outside towards the inside) 
     
     depending on whether the bark is lost. Balsam fir is easily pruned to form dense 
     
     protective cover and produces good seed crops at 2 to 4 year intervals after age 30. 
     
     Consider buying live potted fir for your Christmas tree and then outplant it in 
     
     spring after the danger of frost has passed. If it exists on a site you wish to 
     
     plant, you can use it as a site indicator for frost by examining bud whorls (circles 
     
     of buds) for non-growing buds or missing limbs. If transplanting, check the age of 
     
     sample seedlings by cutting diagonally across the stem. Wild balsam fir growing in 
     
     shade can be quite old and still be very short. 
     
    
   
   
    
     SWILLOWTAILS: Papilionidae 
     
    
   
   
    
     The true swallowtails are brightly coloured and have tails. Black swallowtail larvae 
     
     feed on carrots while tiger swallowtail larvae feed on deciduous trees. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Species: eastern black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes, P. Ajax) 
     
    

    
     Habitat: open spaces, fields, gardens, and edges 
     
    

    
     Status: breeding, migratory 
     
    

    
     Plentings: cow parsnip, parsley, Queen Anne's lace, or carrot plants 
     
    

    
     Comments: chrysalis overwinters; larvae have an offensive odour when disturbed; found 
     
     in most areas of Nova Scotia; recorded in New Brunswick and Newfoundland but not in 
     
     Labrador. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Species: short-tailed swallowtail (P. brevicauda) 
     
    

    
     Habitat: edges and grasses in coniferous forests, coastal grassy areas, old gardens 
     
     Status: breeding, resident 
     
    

    
     Plantings: carrot family plants including scotch lovage, cow parsnip, and angelica 
     
     for larvae; blueberry, Labrador tea, orchids, honeysuckle, and garden flowers 
     
     Comments: flies near the ground rather than the normal flight behaviour of black 
     
     swallowtails; recorded in New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Labrador; located 
     
     primarily in Cape Breton in Nova Scotia . 
     
    
   
   
    
     Species: Canadian tiger swallOwtail (Pterourus glaucus canadensis) 
     
    

    
     Eastern tiger swallowtail (P.g. glaucus) 
     
     Habitat: deciduous forests and edges 
     
     Status: breeding, resident 
     
     Plantings: birches, cherries, ashes, apple, willow, alder, mountain ash, and poplars 
     
     for larvae; nectar producing flowers for adults particularly lilac 
     
     Comments: winters as chrysalis; utilize wide range of nectar flowers; feeds in 
     
     groups; a black female form mimics the foul tasting pipevine swallowtail; former 
     
     recorded in both Newfoundland and Labrador but the latter only in Newfoundland. 
     
    
   
   
    
     FIELD CHECKLIST OP BIRDS: 
     
    
   
   
    
     FIELD CHECKLIST OFi Edition 6 of this popular Publication 
     
    
   
   
    
     will soon be released through the efforts of 
     
    
   
   
    
     3 the Island Nature Trust, Department of 
     
     Environmental Resources, Atlantic Canada 
     
     > ‘ Opportunities Agency and Enterprise PEI. Dan 
     
     L McAskill and Ray Cooke combined their field 
     
    
   
   
    
     experience and research skills with comments 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Copies of the new checklist will be 
     
     available hopefully this summer. 
     
    
   
   
    
     1  and recommendations received from Scott 
     
    

    
     s  Makepeace, Les Homans, Barry Martin, Bruce 
     
    

    
     I IPQQIQ Pigot, Rosemary Curley, Randy Dibblee, Donald 
     
     1 Gnu» Wilkinson, Maurice Roy, and Dwayne Sabine.