deaths among these is associated with marked contamination of their 
     
     organs by lead or mercury. Similar observations have been made 
     
     among Common Loons examined in New England. 
     
    

    
     In close collaboration ‘with biologists from the Canadian 
     
     Wildlife Service in Sackville, veterinary pathologists at AVC wish 
     
     to examine this problem more closely and, for this, request that 
     
     any Common Loon found dead in the field or dying in the course of 
     
     a rehabilitation should be submitted for necropsy. These carcasses 
     
     will be examined in detail for the presence of infectious or other 
     
     diseases, and their tissues will be analyzed for the presence of 
     
     heavy metals and organochlorines. 
     
    

    
     Although toxic problems of the 
     
     magnitude encountered in loons have 
     
     not been identified in Northern 
     
     Gannets, Great Blue Herons, or Bald 
     
     Eagles in the Atlantic Region, 
     
     information on these three species, 
     
     derived from the necropsy of 
     
     individual dead birds may also 
     
     provide some important information 
     
     on their environment. Therefore, 
     
     these three species are also of 
     
     particular interest to pathologists 
     
     at AVC. 
     
    

    
     Collaboration on this project by members of the public, 
     
     wildlife rehabilitators, veterinarians, and provincial. wildlife 
     
     agencies would be greatly appreciated. Any further information on 
     
     this project can be obtained from Pierre-Yves Daoust (902) 566-0667 
     
     or Scott McBurney (902) 628—4322. Carcasses of birds which cannot 
     
     be submitted to AVC (Diagnostic Services) within 36 hours after 
     
     having been found should be kept frozen. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     ISLAND BEACH SWEEP by Sharon Labchuk 
     
    
   
   
    
     Last year, more than 12,000 
     
     people participated in the first 
     
     Moosehead Maritimes Beach Sweep and 
     
     Litter Survey. Close to 4,000 bags 
     
     of garbage were collected at 300 
     
     locations Maritimes wide. On 
     
     P.E.I., 850 volunteers collected 894 
     
     bags of garbage on 135 kilometers of 
     
     coastline. From June 4th to 12th 
     
     this year, volunteer participants 
     
     will once again join forces to clean 
     
     up litter on our treasured beaches. 
     
    

    
     Contributing your time as a local Beach Sweep coordinator is 
     
     extremely rewarding and not overly demanding. The Beach Sweep 
     
     organization will supply you with a kit containing all the 
     
     materials you need to organize a fun and successful clean-up, 
     
     including posters, an organizational guide, sample media releases, 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     -6—