.. 6 .. 
     
     Most of the islands are probably uninhabited by mammals, although . 
     
     some have resident small rodents. Arctic and red foxes occasionally 
     
     stray across the ice to the islands, but do not permanently inhabit them. 
     
     The most important vertebrates in the area are not terrestrial but marine. 
     
     The early Basques settlers found whales and walruses to be so abundant 
     
     that their fishery was based as much on these creatures as on cod. 
     
    

    
     Seabirds were so numerous that their breeding colonies sometimes 
     
     covered entire islands. Over the centuries of exploitation, the walruses 
     
     were exterminated, and the whales and seabirds were reduced to remnants 
     
     of their former populations.l 
     
    
   
   
    
     Although the North Shore of the Gulf is not the paradise for marine 
     
     fauna it once was, visitors may still thrill to the spouting whales and 
     
     teeming seabirds — all in a sub—arctic setting only 400 kilometers north 
     
     of the north shore of Prince Edward Island. 
     
    
   
   
    
     David Cairns 
     
     60 Newland Crescent 
     
     , Charlottetown 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     The Natural History Soeiety of Prince Edward Island Newsletter is published eight times per year. 
     
     If you have seen something unusual, please share it with us. It is important to have your observations 
     
     recorded where others will learn of them. 
     
    
   
   
    
     \ 
     
    
   
   
    
     Newsletter Editor 
     
    

    
     c/o Kathy Martin 
     
    

    
     Biology Department 
     
    

    
     University of Prince Edward Island 
     
     Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island 
     
    
   
   
    
     Phone - 892-4121, ext. 253 
     
    
   
   
    
     Society Address 
     
    
   
   
    
     PO. Box 2346 
     
     Charlottetown 
     
     Prince Edward Island 
     
    
   
   
    
     Phone ~89479595 
     
     Membership Rates: Regular — $3; Student -Sl,' Family - $4 
     
     The Natural History Society gratefully acknowledges financial assistance from the Department of 
     
    
   
   
    
     Tourism, Parks and Conservation which enables us to distribute newsletters to schools as well as to 
     
     our membership.