Newsletter No. 18 November 1976 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     NEXT MEETINGS 
     
    
   
   
    
     Date: Tuesday, November 2, and Tuesday, December 7, 1976 
     
     Time: 8:00 P.M. 
     
     Place: Provincial Health Building, 3rd Floor, Room 47 
     
    
   
   
    
     Program: Margaret Mallet will tell us about her trip to the Magdalen 
     
     Islands this past summer. Come and be prepared to enjoy 
     
     some of Margaret's excellent photography. 
     
    
   
   
    
     ANNOUNCEMENTS 
     
    
   
   
    
     We now have 111 paid—up members. It was pleasing that several persons 
     
     sent in their dues in response to the special reminder. If you mail 
     
     your 1976 dues, please make cheques payable to the Natural History 
     
     Society of Prince Edward Island, c/o Miss Margaret Mallett, 53 Fitzroy 
     
     Street, Charlottetown. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The attractive NHS crests in the design of our logo are available for 
     
     $3.50 each. 
     
    
   
   
    
     "WINDS OF SEA AND WOOD" is available at $1.35 each or $1.50 by mail. 
     
     Many people have read it and say they have found it delightful. For 
     
     Christmas it would make a thoughtful remembrance. Easy on the pocket- 
     
     book, too. 
     
    
   
   
    
     JUNIORS - you have been very silent lately! Surely you have a story 
     
     or a poem about Fall, Winter, Snow or your favorite outdoor winter 
     
     activity. Send your article to: Kathy Martin, Biology Department, 
     
     University of Prince Edward Island. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Watch for our Natural History ads on television this fall. CBC Tele- 
     
     vision has informed us that they will begin showing them soon. If 
     
     you see one of these ads and like it, possibly you could write or 
     
     phone CBC and express your appreciation.to them. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     STRAW STORM 
     
    
   
   
    
     0n the bright and sunny first day of October, I took a break from 
     
     my shingling duties in Springton to glance at the blue sky above. 
     
     What I saw was a trio of ravens circling in tight formation, each 
     
     occasionally making quick manoeuvers to intercept some invisible quarry. 
     
     As crows and ravens normally lack the speed and agility needed to take 
     
     prey on the wing, this unusual behavior caused me to drop my hammer 
     
     and take a closer look. 
     
    
   
   
    
     What I saw was a column of wispy particles reflecting golden in 
     
     the sunshine, and reaching several hundred feet into the sky. Grad- 
     
     ually, the mysterious column descended, ravens in its wake, and the 
     
     golden particles resolved themselves into strands of straw. 
     
    
   
   
    
     On Prince Edward Island, warm air updrafts are seldom swift enough 
     
     to pick up objects, but in this case, the sun-warmed stubble of a near— 
     
     by strain field apparently radiated sufficient heat skyward to create 
     
     an updraft strong enough to suck straw and rubble off the ground. The 
     
     duty officer at the airport weather station had never heard of such a 
     
     thing on the Island, but one York farmer reports having seen whole 
     
     stocks of strain sucked into the sky, many years ago.