. . . Sanding in Brant continued 
     
    
   
   
    
     Spring, they gorged themselves with sand. The last hunt was timed to 
     
     coincide with sanding-up time. Can any reader shed light on this 
     
     subject? 
     
    
   
   
    
     Bruce Pigot 
     
     Mount Stewart 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     GREAT BLUE HERON SUFFERS DEFEAT 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     In November, 1975, the Natural History Society published an account of 
     
     mink predation on a female Blue—winged Teal. While Blue—wings are 
     
     known to be relatively susceptible to mink predation, mink attacks on 
     
     Great Blue Herons are probably rare. The following is description of 
     
     such an occurrence. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Observors: David Livingstone, Brendan Curley 
     
    
   
   
    
     Date: August 31, 1977 
     
     Time: Approximately 2:30 p.m. ADT 
     
     Place: North Lake, P.E.I. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Description: We are standing on the bridge about 100 yards from the 
     
     Great Blue Heron when it was killed. It had flown in and landed in 
     
     the water about 5 feet from a shoreline of tall rushes and cattails. 
     
     The Blue Heron stood in the water for a short time, then started to 
     
     make heron noises and tried to rise off the water. At first, while 
     
     frantically beating its wings on the water, it almost succeeded in 
     
     getting air-borne - except for one leg. 
     
    
   
   
    
     We thought it was caught in a muskrat trap and decided to free it. 
     
    

    
     David took the precaution of putting on canvas gloves to avoid injury 
     
     from the Heron's beak, but by the time we reached it, perhaps 5 minutes 
     
     later, the bird was lying on the water, its head under, and the struggle 
     
     ended. Through the water David could see a mink with the long neck in 
     
     its beak, but as he drew closer, the mink ran over his feet into the 
     
     marsh edge. He pulled the Blue Heron from the water and we could see 
     
     where one leg had been bitten and the neck broken about half way up. 
     
    

    
     We left the heron there and soon after the mink returned to reclaim 
     
    

    
     its kill, dragging it towards the rushes. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Brendan Curley 
     
     Wolfville, N.S. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     BLUE JAY 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Blue Jay was declared our provincial avian emblem through Bill 
     
    

    
     No. 52, the Provincial Emblems Act on May 13, 1977. In reference to 
     
    

    
     the Blue Jay, the act (which also incorporates the now repealed Floral 
     
     Emblem Act) states that "The bird known scientifically as Cyanooitta 
     
     cristata (L.) and popularly known as the Blue Jay is adopted as and 
     
     shall be the avian emblem of the province." The Natural History Society 
     
     thanks all those who voted for the provincial bird. A special thanks 
     
     goes to our legislators who acted speedily to declare the public 
     
    

    
     choice as law.