was the "right" whale to hunt because of its slow speed and oil—rich body, 
     
     which floated when it was dead. After centuries of exploitation off our 
     
     shores, it is listed as endangered and since 1972 there have been no Can- 
     
     adian whale hunts. While this has protected the whales, it has removed the 
     
     best method scientists had to measure whale numbers. It takes a lot of ex— 
     
     pensive flying and shipboard time to find and count these animals, and, 
     
     apart from oil companies and some United States investigators, few sources 
     
     of money are available for whale censuses. 
     
    

    
     The World Wildlife Fund 
     
     Canada is supporting a 
     
     research project in the 
     
     southern Bay of Fundy this 
     
     fall and winter to invest- 
     
     igate the right whale's 
     
     feeding grounds located 15 
     
     kilometres offshore. These 
     
     areas of dense zooplankton 
     
     are critical parts of the whales' habitat where conflicts with marine 
     
     traffic take their toll on feeding grounds. 
     
    

    
     This past summer, COSEWIC listed the roseate tern as "threatened", 
     
     which is the next step up from endangered. There are 3100 breeding pairs in 
     
     North America and up to 125 pairs nest on Nova Scotia's south shore beaches 
     
     and Cape Breton. Ornithologist Robie Tufts reported historical tern nesting 
     
     colonies had been taken over by increasing populations of the more aggres— 
     
     sive herring gulls. Roseate terns are found along the seaboards on both 
     
     sides of the Atlantic. Unfortunately on the birds' winter range in South 
     
     America, hunters still collect the birds for their feathers. 
     
    

    
     Whether rare, threatened or endangered, the best policy for animal 
     
     protection is protecting the habitat. A 1985 policy statement by the gov- 
     
     ernment of Nova Scotia set up a committee to examine wildlife habitats and 
     
     gave authority to protect vital habitats. The new forestry legislation in— 
     
     troduced in 1986 dictates that wildlife habitats will be considered in 
     
     forest management plans on Crown lands and guidelines will be drawn up for 
     
     private lands. 
     
    

    
     However, accidents will happen and animals like the Whitefish may be 
     
     lost if their small habitat is damaged. But if extensive habitat is opened 
     
     up to the Whitefish, the population will grow by itself and overcome the 
     
     risks. Habitats will change as a forest matures or is harvested but if re- 
     
     presentative samples of different ages of forest are designed into the for- 
     
     est management plan, (remnant mammals like) the Gaspe shrew will always 
     
     find the mature hardwood forest on steep talus slopes it needs. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Checklist df Canadian Birds 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Canadian Society of Ornithologists has arranged for the publication 
     
     of a Checklist of Canadian Birds/Liste de reference des oiseaux du Canada. 
     
     The list, prepared by Dr. R.D. James of the Royal Ontario Museum gives the 
     
     scientific, French and English common names and breeding status of all 579 
     
     species of bird recorded in Canada up to the end of 1984. It corresponds to 
     
     the birds described by Earl Godfrey in his second edition of The Birds of 
     
     Canada. 
     
    

    
     The list is bound in pocket—size form and would be a useful addition 
     
     to any naturalist's field gear. Copies of the checklist can be obtained by 
     
     sending two dollars to: 
     
    

    
     Ornithology Checklist c/o Dr. W. Bruce McGillivray, Provincial Museum 
     
     of Alberta, 12845—102 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T5N 0M6. 
     
    
   
   
    
     (from the B.C. Naturalist, Dec. 1986) 
     
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