witnessing now in cormorant numbers is, in all likelihood, a return to 
     
     their historical abundance. No other species has made such a spectacular 
     
     comeback unassisted by Man. The huge flocks of Eskimo curlew that once 
     
     frequented our shores are virtually extinct. For them protection came 
     
    

    
     too late. Are large numbers of cormorants upsetting the balance of nature? 
     
     There is certainly nothing to suggest this. The species of fish they feed 
     
     on are almost exclusively non-commercial species and are obviously abun- 
     
     dant enough to support the large cormorant population. Rather than be 
     
     threatened by this abundance of wildlife we should be heartened to witness 
     
     a success story for a change. P.E.I. has a wealth of bird life, includ- 
     
     ing cormorants, which deserve our respect and continued protection. A 
     
     proposal to shoot cormorants on fresh water to protect the trout fishery— 
     
     would be both scientifically unsound and a senseless waste of wildlife. ' 
     
    
   
   
    
     Conny Events 
     
    
   
   
    
     ANNUAL NATURE SLIDE COMPETITION: Members should send their slides to 
     
     Margaret Mallett, 53 Fitzroy St., Charlottetown, ClA 1R4 before April 
     
     15. Egg slides per member, if possible, and please mark the lower left— 
     
     hand corner of the mount. We depend on you to provide the program for 
     
     the May 6 meeting. 
     
    

    
     WONDERFUL WATEROWL, a mounted bird display from the Royal Ontario 
     
    

    
     Museum, is being held at the Eptek Centre in Summerside until April 25. 
     
    

    
     April 16: Bill Eden and Dan McAskill will speak at an illustrated public 
     
     lecture on European Silviculture. The lecture is sponsored by 
     
     the P.E.I. Subsection of the Canadian Institute of Forestry. 
     
    

    
     April 19: An information meeting on coyotes, mainly aimed at sheep pro- 
     
     ducers but Open to all interested parties, will start at 10:30 
     
     a.m. at the Farm Centre. Randall Diblee will be the speaker. 
     
    

    
     May 4 - 10: "Your Forest, Your Future" is the theme for this year's 
     
     National Forestry Week. Contact Debbie Hearn at 892—0228. 
     
    

    
     May 6: The Natural History Society will hold its last meeting before 
     
     breaking for the summer, at 8:00 p.m. in room #2 of the 
     
     Health Building. Winning slides from the annual photo contest 
     
     will be shown and this is always one of the most popular 
     
     meetings of the year. 
     
    

    
     May 15: The Island Nature Trust will hold their Annual Meeting at 8:00 
     
     p.m. at the Farm Centre. 
     
    

    
     May 16: Town Beautification Through Planting of Trees and Shrubs is the 
     
     theme of this year's Arbor Day celebrations. 
     
    

    
     May 31: The ninth annual Francis Bain Birdathon will be held at various 
     
     favorite localities. The Birds and Breakfast event will take 
     
     place at the P.E.I. National Park on the same day. All inter— 
     
     ested persons are welcome. 
     
    

    
     June 15-21: The International Council for Bird Preservation will hold 
     
     their 19th World Conference. Contact Diane Griffin at 892—7513 
     
     for more information. 
     
    

    
     June 26: The PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation will hold its Annual 
     
     Dinner and Awards meeting at the Mill River Resort. Contact 
     
     Donna Herlihy at 892-9127. 
     
    
   
   
    
     _ 6 _