BIOLOGY RESEARCH FUND NAMED FOR GEOFF HOGAN ' by Diane Griffin 
     
    
   
   
    
     During the 1991 annual alumni fund raising campaign at the University of 
     
     Prince Edward Island, a fund was started with donations from graduates who 
     
     majored in Biology while at University. The Biology Department faculty have 
     
     decided to name this fund in honour of Geoff Hogan, a Past-President of the 
     
     ‘Natural History Society of Prince Edward Island. I ' ' 
     
     The purpose of the fund is to assist students who want to do biological 
     
     ' research for a thesis so they can obtain an honours degree. The award will be 
     
     made from the interest generated by the fund. v 
     
    

    
     To contribute to the fund, simply send a donation to the University of 
     
     Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, P.E.I. CIA 4P3. 
     
     Please indicate that the donation is for the Geoff Hogan Biology Honours 
     
     Research Fund. You will receive a tax creditable receipt. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Editor's Note: When Diane prepared this article, Geoff was lying, very ill at 
     
     the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. During the evening of Friday, March 13th, Geoff 
     
     passed away. He will be truly missed. The Geoff Hogan Biology Honours 
     
    

    
     Research Fund will serve as a living memorial to his achievements while at the 
     
     same time encouraging further investigations of biological systems on the 
     
     Island he called home. 
     
    
   
   
    
        
     
         
     
          
     
    
   
   
    
     Unusual numbers of robins about Mount Stewart this winter prompts/ongTZO _’) 
     
     speculate on their subspecific origin. The Eastern Robin (zurdus migratorius ' 
     
     Emigrator) is the nesting robin here on Prince Edward Island. The Black-backed 
     
     Robin (T. m. nigrideus) nests in Newfoundland and Labrador. 
     
    

    
     In a letter to the author dated January.22, 1959, W. Earl Godfrey, who 
     
     was then Curator of Ornithology-at'the National Museum of Canada, said: 
     
    

    
     ."Males of the Black-backed Robin can be separated in the field because_they 
     
     are generally a somewhat darker bird, with the black of their head and neck 
     
     extending down to their upper back, and the breast is a deeper red. You 
     
     should get the occasional migrant going through P.E.I. in spring or fall." 
     
    

    
     During the time I had a collector's permit, I collected two robins and 
     
     sent the skins to W. Earl Godfrey. He identified them as follows: one, 
     
     collected during the‘spring (April 8, 1959), was a Black-backed Robin; the 
     
     other, collected in winter (January 8, 1967) was an Eastern Robin. 
     
    

    
     The March 1979 (# 38) issue of the Natural History Newsletter records 
     
     both birds in error as Black-backed Robins. _ . 
     
    

    
     This is a good winter to record which of the subspeCies is feeding in 
     
     the areas you bird. Please advise the editor of yOur observations. 
     
    
   
   
    
     EASTERN OR BLACK-BACKED ROBIN I by Bruce C. Pigot 
     
    
   
   
    
     VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED FOR PIPING PLOVER CONSERVATION, by Stephen Flemming 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Piping Plover is listed as an endangered species in Canada. Only 
     
     5,500 individuals remain, 525 of those in Atlantic Canada. Human disturbance 
     
     is a major cause of poor reproductive success in the region. Active 
     
     protection of the birds is urgently needed. This year, with the help of 
     
     volunteers, we hope to protect the Piping plover in Prince Edward Island and 
     
     Nova Scotia by initiating a-Piping Plover Guardianship Program. Volunteer 
     
     Guardians will help erect information signs arbund plover nesting areas and 
     
    
   
   
    
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