THANKS, WINNIE! 
     
    
   
   
    
     With the completion of the July-August issue of the Natural History Society newsletter, Winnifred Cairns 
     
     has resigned as newsletter editor. Members of the Society have benefitted from Winnie's time and efforts for 
     
     five years as she served the editor's position and all will agree she has done an excellent job! Winnie has been 
     
     a. driving force within the group and her good iudgement and clear-sightedness on environmental issues have 
     
     earned her well-deserved respect. 
     
    

    
     l take this opportunity on behalf of the Society to congratulate Winnie on her recent marriage and to wish 
     
     her and Dave the very best of luck in Ontario. And, of course. our most sincere thanks for your profound in- 
     
     fluence on the NHS over the years. We will miss you very much. 
     
    

    
     Geoff Hogan, 
     
     President 
     
    
   
   
    
     NEW LOOK, 
     
     NEW NAMES 
     
    
   
   
    
     Well, here’s our first effort. Hopefully this 
     
     will reach readers in time to remind everyone 
     
     ' that the first fall meeting is on October 2 at 8:00 
     
     p.m. in the Provincial Health Building in Charlot- 
     
     tetown. 
     
    

    
     The newsletter's new look will give those of 
     
     us with children an opportunity to involve them 
     
     in some aspect of the Natural History Society 
     
     and help them learn about various species. The 
     
     cover illustration will change each issue and will 
     
     be suitable for colouring. 
     
    

    
     The article on mushrooms in this issue is the 
     
     first in a series by Katherine Clough, and ex-NHS 
     
     member from Charlottetown now living in 
     
    
   
   
    
     Sillery, Quebec. We hope that some of the _ 
     
    
   
   
    
     speakers for the monthly meeting will be able to 
     
     give us a sampling of what their talk will be 
     
     about (to whet our appetites for more). Book 
     
     reviews of old favourites and new publications 
     
     are also in the works. 
     
    

    
     A special thank you goes out to Winnifred 
     
     Cairns for making the transition easy by taking 
     
     the time to meet with us and offer information 
     
     on possible stories and contacts. We are looking 
     
     forward to having lots of fun doing the newslet- 
     
     ter and hope that you, the reader, will get as 
     
     much enjoyment out of it. 
     
    

    
     Jane Symmes. Gary Schneider 
     
     and Geoff Hogan 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     AMERICAN KESTREI. (Sparrow Hawk) 
     
    

    
     9 to 12 inches - a swall0w-like falcon about the 
     
     size of a joy. Rufous back and tail. Males have 
     
     blue-gray wings. Both sexes have 'mustoched’ 
     
     black and white face pattern. Hovers on rapidly 
     
     beating wings. Seen in open country, farmland, 
     
     wood edges, dead trees and wires. 
     
    

    
     in summer and early autumn, it feeds almost ex- 
     
     clusively on grasshoppers, Crickets, caterpillars 
     
     and dragonflies. in colder seasons it must rely 
     
     on mice and smaller birds for food. 
     
    

    
     For more information, see your field guide or 
     
     favourite bird book.