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Nc~itur~Ii tsNQwsIQttQrMARCH - MAY, 1984. No. 35.

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* HFN LOGO CONTEST *

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* Don your thinking caps, dig out your *

* paper and markers, draw a design, then *

* deliver it to the Musesum. *

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* If you happen to be the lucky winner, *

* your reward will be a book that’ sure *

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N t alistsMARCH - MAY, 1984 No. 35.

MEETINGS: First Thursday of every month at ~ pm in the Auditorium ofthe Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer SI~reet, Halifax.

FIELD TRIPS: are held at least once a month.

MEMBERSHIP: is open to anyone interested in the natural history of NovaScotia. Memberships are available atany meeting of the Societyor by writing to --- Membership Chairman, Halifax Field Naturalists, c/o Nova Scotia Museum.

Individual memberships $7.00 per yearFamily U $10.00 U

Sustaining “ $15.00This covers our fiscal year — January 1 to December 31.

Members receive the HFN Newsletter and notices of all meetings,field trips and special programs.

EXECUTIVE President John van der Meer (r) 455—1029. (o) 426—8276for 1984: Vice—President Edna Staples (r) 868—2919

Treasurer Bernice Moores (r) 422—5292 (o) 445—2500Membership Cohn Stewart Cr) 455-6576Secretary Michael Downing (r) 823-2081Past-President Doris Butters Cr) 463—0033

Directors:Projects John BrownlieProgram Co—ordinator. Filip Volckaert

Bill FreedmanEric MalmbergAileen MeagherMary PrimrosePierre Taschereau

NEWSLETTER Editor Doris Butters 463-0033

Edna StaplesAileen Meagher

MAILING Halifax Field NaturalistsADDRESS: c/o N.S. Museum, 1747 Summer Street, Halifax, B3H 3A6.

HFN is a member organisation of the Canadian Nature Federation.HFN is incorporated under the Nova Scotia Societies Act.HFN NEWSLErrER is produced by courtesy of the Nova Scotia Museum.

~ Now that running a car is so expensive, it would be appreciated if those

travelling in someone else’s car on field trips share the cost of the gas.Thank you.

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newsREMINDER:—July and August meetings will beheld at the Nova Scotia Archives,corner of Robie/Universityat 7.30 p.m.

WELCOME to:

Helen GossGeth CoolenDon and Joan EmbreeHildegund SchrempAmalie FrolichRichard MorashOriel MacLennanAnn MacPhersonHarley HutchinsonTed Daigleish and familyF. and H. Doolittle

THANK YOU to:The Nova Scotia Museum for the useof their facilities during the1983—84 school year.For the helpgiven to us by staff members whohave presented talks, led fieldtrips and assisted with difficultidentifications. Also for provid—ings printing facilities for theHFN Newsletter.

CONGRATULATIONS to:

Michael and Helen Downing on thebirth of their second son, Benjamin,on March 1st.

Andrew and Georgina MacFarlane onthe birth of a daughter early inMarch.

Cohn and Elizabeth Stewart, on thebirth of Jennifer, at the end ofMarch.

NOTICE —

Would the member of the audienceat the June 7 HFN meeting, whoseneighbour raises organically-fedbeef, please get in touch withStephanie Robertson, Ph: 469-2454

t~iEXT VEAVLIiVE25 Ju.&y 1984 ~óJL

he ALLgu~.t -t54LLe.Ma-U eon~Lbu-tLon4to ~i.S. Mu4ecun ORphone -the Ed-Lton. at

463—0033

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ON THE, SHELF

The April issue of Nature Canadacontains the last of the four-partseries on Canadian forests by DavidFoister. The article includes remarks and conclusion drawn by Prof.Ian McLaren on pesticide sprayingin Nova Scotia forests.

Newsletters from other naturalist societies continue to pour in,as do periodic issues of NatureCanada, Environment Canada’s Updateand ENGO’s Ottawatch. All well worthspending a I~Tttle time in reading.Any article of special interest toany person, can be reserved beforeoutdated copies are destroyed.

~jpniidonNatt.~ralist Society newsletter is often of particularinterest as the content is so ‘closeto home’

The Catherine Traill newsletterdeals with many wide-ranging topics~Concern over local environmentalmatters is often offset by itemson faraway places such as Icelandor the Upper Reaches of the Amazon.The current issue even has a verypractical article on how to buildnesting boxes.

The latest issue of “Parkscan”appeals for ...“ideas and opinionson the management and developmentof national parks, historic parksand heritage canals”; the specificinterest for the Atlantic Regionbeing Grand Pr~ national historicpark in Kings County.

Documents are available atAtlantic Regional Office,Parks Canada, Historic PropertiesUpper Water St., Hfx., B3J 1S9

or contact:

Area SuperintendentHist.Sites/Southwestern N. S.Annapolis Royal, BOS lAO.

On March 28, Dorothy Morrisnoticed a grouse in Shubie Park;walked slowly away then flew offdisplaying its fan—shaped tailearly in May Stephanie Robertsonand Fulton Lavender spotted a visitor from Florida at MartiniqueBeach — a Tn-coloured Heron.

Early sightings this year included Pussy Willows in full bloom onMarch 1, on the topmost branches ofa tall shrub in a Dartmouth garden(probably SaUx do~o~’t~ which isan early bloomer) on 17 Marchat Musquodoboit Bernice Mooresfound her first Pussy Willows

Dorothy TI. spotted Colts—

foot in Shubie Park on 25 Marchand here’s one that per

haps does not properly qualify asit was not a Nova Scotia first -

but your Editor found HepatJ.ca~sp.in full leaf and bud on April’ 15under 75 crp of snow. So what? - —

this was 35km from the ArcticCircle in Finland. We scatteredthe snow to speed up thawing,and the little purple flowersbloomed overnight. Crocus andGrape Hyacinth also shot up within48 hours.

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ANTS ARE FUN TO WATCIL— A naturestory by Ray Tanton.(Eztit.aeted ~aom.StJoItn Wataa.Lo-tCtab newatettea dated Oetobea 1983)Recently I listened to a talk on

the wonders of the lowly ant. Theyare found almost everywhere on our

- planet from the North Pole to thekOuth. Pole. There are various speciesat ints. They are related to the wasp,bee and termite. They live in communities, enjoying a highly developedsocial way of life that has excited ~,

us from ancient times.IA some magic way each one has

been given its own job to do andsees that .it is done. Ants are notjealous and will permit a number ofQueens to be in the same communityor ant hill. They do not swarm asbees do. About haying time each year,males and females develop wings andare seen flying together. After thepairing or mating season is overthe males die immediately and thefemales lose •their wings and becomeworkers. ThEy lay their eggs everywhere1 mostly near footpaths; otherworkers gather the eggs and placethem in a dry,warm place in the hillcommunity. When we see disturbedants running around with what seemsto be eggs, they are not eggs butpupae or cocoons. The eggs are sosmall they can scarcely be seen withthe naked eye. Soon, little legless grubs appear and for a considerable length of time are fed withhoneydew by the nurses and workers...Besides nurses there are soldiers,builders, caretakers. Some invadethe nests of other species and bringback pupae to hatch, giving themslaves that will do their bidding.Some use slaves to excess...Some ofthe workers are farmers who grow atype of fungus which can be storedfor food. Still others live apastoral life, using other insects —

mostly aphids — as we do cows, toprovide them with a life—givingnectar. The ant strokes the aphidwith its feelers...until it gives

off a honey—like secretion seeminglythPbugh its pores. This the antscrapes off, storing it for futureuse.

In the Deep South I was amusedby their antics as they scurriedaround, each with a definite purpose,and when we entered a cottage whichhad been closed for a few days, theowner exclaimed ‘I see an ant track!’There it was, plain as day, a narrowred streak going up the wall ontothe table that touched the wall anover to the sugar bowl that had beencarelessly uncovered, The track wasmade up of tiny red ants carryingthe sugar to their storehouse, keeping to the same trail coming and go—ing...when one finds a food sourceit immediately heads for home tospread the word. On the way it excretes a tiny bit of smelly fluid,leaving a trail which directs thoseat home back to the find.

Some ants will remove the fleshfrom adeadanimal leaving only thebones. Others will denude a treejust as fast. All are such efficient workers that they promptedSolomon to say: ‘Go to the ant, thousluggard, consider its ways and bewise’. It is marvellous howefficiently they conduct themselves,rivalling the perseverance and ingenuity of other creatures ofnature, including the human being.

When next summer comes and youare enjoying a picnic, and see anant hill, remember that it is ahighly—developed city with everyonestriving to make it a better placein which to live. Should youaccidentally step on it — or intentionally tear it apart - it wouldbe just as devastating...as a bomblaying waste your city... Thatlittle ant running across yourpicnic table is just a scout doingits duty and looking for food;hundreds of inhabitants of thatlittle city depend upon it for theirvery existence.

Like you, the little ant has adefinite place in the great schemeof things.

R.T.

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The Minas Basin is one of theworld’s most unusual bodies of water.The tides are now 14 to 16 metrestwice daily, but 6000 years ago thetidal amplitudes were nil. About 1/3of the floor of the Basin is exposedon each tide, nearly 240 sq.km, andat several sites this inter—tidalexposure is 3km wide. In summer thewater reaches 22°C and high tideslap along the shores where apples,tobacco and grapes are growing, Butin winter the frozen inter—tidalflats chill the Basin waters to—1.5°C and create blocks of ice some5m thick, which form great driftingmasses of pack ice.

This constantly churning shallowbasin is obviously a muddy mess.Light can hardly penetrate the firstmetre, thus plankton is sparse, andtherefore (the textbooks tell us)without much plant life there willbe very little animal life. Rock-weeds and kelps can’t grow on mudand sand, so again without the primary producers (plants) there can’tbe primary consumers (herbivores)nor secondary consumers (carnivores).So the Minas Basin should be awrite—off —— but it certainly is not,

The muds and sands are packedwith animals. We know of at least440 species. In fact, the flats areso rich in animal matter that tensof thousands of shorebirds whichnest in the Arctic, fly here in July—August—September to refuel on theirway to South America. They quicklydouble their body weight by addinglayers of fat from eating worms andcrustaceans from Minas Basin mudsand then they take off and fly toSouth America.

As yet, marine scientists do notreally know how the Minas Basinfunctions, that is, they cannot explain where all the stored energycomes from to feed so many animals.Is it possible that the Basin functions very much as a cow’s stomachand a rabbit’s intestine? Can youdeduce and explain how there can besuch a relationship?

To introduce you to the varietyand density of Minas Basin organismswe have organised a triple-tripFirst Area:— muddy ooze at Cap~

TT~~n Pa r k —

We will look for the little MacomaClam, of which ~it has been estimated)there are 24x10 in the Minas Basin.They produce each day 6xlO6kg ofexcreta (feces and pseudofeces) whichdrift about suspended by tidal currents, and upon which bacteriaflourish, and upon which — in turn —

the numerous tentacle and filterfeeders depend for much of theirnutrition.

“THE YUMMY MUDS OF NINAS”by

Sherman Bl~akney ofAcadia University

[Ex.~j~act (~om I3LOMI VON NATURALISTS’ SOCIETYNEWSLETTER o.~ç Jane. 1983, Vo.€~.1O, No.2 - guJdeno.~e~ cznd cL’tawJ~n~i~ ~jon. -tue Ac.ad~a L~jceLLm (1983)4~aden~t4; p~’tJ~nted eouir~te~j ojj Vn.ShenmctnF-~ea1aneq).

LITTLE MACOMA

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1. Macoma balthica (clam)2. Corophium volutator (crustacean)3. Heteromastus filiformis (worm)

Second Area: saltmarsh grassy flatsand pools and creeks near Kingsport

1. Grassy salt marsh flats. Now youare tramping over (and on!) insects3spiders, beach fleas, crabs, snailsand sea slugs. There are about 1470hectares of salt marsh habitat inKings County. The dead grasses washout to sea with high tides and addplant matter to the entire MinasBasin, thus creating a bacteria—rich detritus foundation for theBasin’s peculiar ecosystem.

2. Pools. There are 783 of thesemarsh pools in Kings County andthey range in size from 6m~ to403m~ (with a rough average near100m~). So far, 73 species ofanimals belonging to 11 Phyla havebeen found in these pools.

Look for the unusual white seaanemones protruding from the bottomthat eat insects and snails; examine under ~inocular microscope.Seive 15cm of mud from bottom of apool and count the tiny adult Hydro—bia snails. These are like rabbitsin their feeding habits (copro—phagous). Nos.of Hydrobia: ________

Seine a pool and identify thefish, noting the species and numbers of each.

3. Creeks: If you block off theupper kilometre of one of thesecreeks at high tide, as many as6000 Gaspereau and 15,000 Herringcan be trapped by your net as theyretreat back into the Basin withthe ebbing tide. About 2000 fish!tide would be average in summer and18 different species of fish havebeen caught in these creek nets.There are 8—10km of creeks in KingsCounty, so potentially how manyfish might be feeding in thesecreeks in one 24hr day?

(Miner, R.W., Field Book of SeashoreLife, 1950.)

(1b) What do the larger fish thatcome up these tidal creeks, findso attractive? Food? Mark off0.25m2 and seive the mud and countsome of the yummy critters whichlive there. Corophium volutator:_________ (Sandpipers snap theseup at the rate of 20 to. 30/minuteand can consume 9600 to 26,000 ina day, which at the end of 1 to 3weeks makes them l0gms fatter)

(1c) Examine the green algal carpetwhich coats the surface of the mudhigh up the sides of the creek andtry to find a green photosynthesiz—ing snail without a shell (Elysiachlorotica), Examine under themicroscope.

Third Area: Tidal Cornwallis River~T~1Tlliams Bridge. . .

Hang a plankton net from the bridgeand let the tidal stream push thewater through the fine screening.After about 5 minutes haul in the netand pour some of the muddy water intoa large white pan. How much is mudand how much is animals?

Examine smaller sub—samples underthe binocular microscope and referto your guide sheet of planktonorganisms.

Note the Macoma star-pattern feed— Cia) Try pulling the seine neting trails. How are these created. through a pool in the marsh creekTake a count from 0.25m2 of mud after and discover what fish and otherscreening it in the stream. creatures are living there. Note

the species and numbers of each.

COROPHiUMVOLUTATOR

~LMAzt

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Most marine ecosystems are basedon sunlight and multiplying phyto—plankton, and these tiny one—celledplants are in turn eaten by zooplankton, particularly copepods, crustaceans, planktonic larvae of worms,barnacles, snails, fish and so on.It is a seasonal system because thesun is high in summer and low inwinter. However, this unique muddyNinas Basin has a food chain notbased on phytoplankton but instead

on bacteria—coated yuk (pieces ofdead marsh plants, dead seaweeds anddiatoms, pseudofeces and feces bythe ton!). Constantly stirred upand suspended and transported by theworldts greatest tides. As sunlightis of lesser importance in thismarine system of constantly stirredbowl of Basin soup, there are asmany (often more) copepods in thewater at Port William’s bridge incold,dark December as there are inJuly.

~ cj.~.

Site: ColdwelPs Farm, nr. Melansen, Gaspereau Valley.Date: Sunday, February 5, 1984.Participants: 27Weather: Relatively mild (9°C in town, colder in th~e Valley), with

mist, drizzle and rain..

We set out shortly after 9,00 am.The drive was fairly unenventful,but it foretold the weather ahead:fog. We arrived at Mr.ColdwelPsfarm. No one was home so we lookedout across the fields towards theriver and were rewarded by the sightof two immature and one adult BaldEagle. Visibility was poor but thewhite head of the adult made foreasier viewing.

Filip began taking small groupsbehind the barn to see the woundedraptors which were recovering invarious cages. There were three Long—eared Owls, two ravens, several BaldEagles and a Rough—legged Hawk. Wealso saw several ravens and juncosflying about. We needed strongstomachs, for in the middle of theyard were carcasses of coyotes,raccoons pigs, etc., to be servedto both the wounded raptors and theuninjured ones out in the fields.

AN OUTING TO CYRIL COLDWELL~S FARN

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After viewing the wounded birdswe walked to a lower field. In thedistance, vague in the fog, (althoughclearer with binoculars) up to 15eagles were spotted. However, theday being rather dismal, there wasnot much activity by birds. The mostactivity was provided by voles trying to escape a rather tenaciousfarm dog.

We broke for lunch at 1 pm, thenmet at the marshes at Grand Pre anhour later. We saw a number of hawksin the marshes, sitting on fenceposts. The marsh itself was too wetto walk on, although two people didattempt it, and we stuck primarilyto the road. In addition to thehawks, we saw two ducks flying, andof course, the ubiquitousseagull.

It began to rain, so we headedback to the cars, then drove to anopen stretch of beach across thedyke. It was desolate, with dirtypieces of ice being slowly carriedout on the tide, Despite the rain,pheasants, Horned Larks, HerringGulls and Black—headed Gulls werespotted. We finally decided to packit in, and headed slowly back toHalifax, hampered once more by fog.It was agreed, however, that we mustreturn in the spring, when there willbe more activity on the marshes.

Leigh Mazany

ANIMAL TRACKSDate: Saturday, 18 February 1984Site: End of Fraser Road, FlarrietsfieldParticipants: 15 V

Weather: Sunny arid cool,Guide: Ed Claridge, N.S. Museum.

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We met at NSM at 10 am and droveto Harrietsfield, leaving our carsat the end of Fraser Road. The walkbegan at an old farm property. Agreat deal of thé topsoil had been

V removed and used for landscapingthe North Common in Halifax. As aresult, the land was barren, withalders growing up — a good habitatfor moose.

We proceeded along a trail indense woods, stopping to examinethe numerous signs of animal habitation. The main trail was continuous~ly crossed by small runs beatendown by Snowshoe Hares, squirrels,porcupines, mink and partridge. Theremains of an old snare were foundon one of these runs, with clumpsof Snowshoe Hare fur still attached.Ed mentioned that two Goshawks hadbeen caught in similar snares inNova Scotia, indicating that theymust also walk along these runs.

The lack of snow on the groundturned out to be an advantage sincemuch of the scat and other animalsigns were uncovered for our examination. These signs were bothrecent and old and the great numberof occurrences indicated that wewere on a busy highway even thoughwe didn’t see the animals themselves.Older, misshapen trees gave evidence of having had new shootseaten annually. Recent browsingwas indicated by sap running fromthe fresh twig stumps,

Animal sign seen on this walkincluded the following:

Snowshoe Hare small ,round,ligftt—coloured scat of the snowshoehare was found everywhere. Evidence of their browsing included

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stumps of twigs cut off cleanlyand close to the ground, as wellas gnawed bark low down on saplings.Hares prefer hardwood trees andMaple is their favourite.

RR~’E’17

Red Squirrel —a squirrel middenwasfound on the topof a stump. Itconsisted of the remains of thewinged seeds stripped from varioustypes of cones.

Ruffad Grouse — on the same midden,and later on the trail, scat fromRuffed Grouse was found. This waselongated and light coloured. Edtold us that the scat of SpruceGrouse was similar in size butgreener, due to their diet ofspruce and fir needles.

Bobcat — bobcat scat was found at ahigh open part of the trail. Wefound both very old and relativelyrecent scat in this small area. Edsaid that this was typical of thebobcat since it tended to toilethabitually in one area. The scat

was elongated, approximately 3” andheld together by a large amount ofgrey hair, probably from snowshoehare in winter. There were smallbone fragments scattered throughout.

Moose - moose scat was found frequentlyon the walk. Summer scat is a formless mass, due to theanimal’s dietof fresh green food. Winter scat isin the form of dark brown, ovalpellets about 1” long, reflectingthe more fibrous nature of winterbrowsing. Our youngest walkerwondered if these pellets might bemoose eggs! Browsing was evidencedby twig stumps high off the ground.These stumps had tendrils of barkon them caused by the tearing

action of the moose’s eating,due to the animal’s lack ofupper teeth. Ed explained thatthe very high browsing on somesaplings was due to the moosestraddling the sapling and push—iing it down with its body to getat the top shoots. One largemoose track was the only definitely recognisable animal trackseen on the walk.

White—tailed Deer — deer scat wasalso quite numerous and we sawthe same type of difference between summer and winter scat aswe did for the moose. Winterpellets were about one half thesize of those of the moose.Theyare pointed at one end anddimpled at the other. Deer browsedid not show tNe same tendrilsof bark on the twig stumps asdid the moose browse, being morecleanly cut.

DEER

Porcupine - porcupine browsing wasindicated by bark stripped fromtrees. In some cases almost allof the bark had been removedfrom young trees; this wouldresult in their dying. Ed toldus that the porcupine’s favourite tree is larch.

In addition to these signs we sawmayflowers in bud and a Sharp-shinnedHawk, a Raven and some Black-cappedChickadees.

This proved to be a very informative trip; some of us had notexpected to see much as there was nosnow on the ground for tracks, butwere amazed at the great amount ofinformation available. Ed Claridgeis to be thanked for pointing outthese signs and explaining how wecan determine the animals from the~signs.

Author Unknown.

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DIJNCANS COVE WALK

Date:Site:Weather:

We started out from NSM shortlyafter 10 am, stopping off at Che—bucto Head lighthouse to look atthe view and check for birds; how—ever, only a few eider ducks werespotted.

We arrived at Duncans Cove about11 o’clock and in a biting wind andheavy snow flurry we started on ourwalk, Crossing a small,kelp-filledbeach and scrambling up a wet,stonypath through the scrub to the oldsignal station on the cliff top, weset off along this beautiful coastaltrail. The flurry of snow soon subsided and almost immediately severalseals were seen on the rocks and inthe water - I believe the ‘official’count to be about 20. One big, oldbull surfaced close inshore andstared stolidly back at us. Also,more eiders were seen.

Spread out in along, wanderingline, we hiked on along the clifftrail; in one little cove we pass~ed through a burned—over area wherebleached, ghostly skeletons ofWhite Pine still stood. On thebarreris,frozen but still intact,cranberries were found; at onepoint a Bald Eagle was sighted andat another spot we found signs ofa bobcat,

About 1 o’clock we reached asmall, sheltered cove where someof the faster walkers had built awarm, but smoky bénfire, Huddledaround the welcome warmth, we enjoyed our lunch in bright sunshineWhile there six or seven Red—necked Grebes were sighted on thewater. After lunch we decidedit might be worthwhile for one ortwo members to push ahead to KetchHarbour and establish a car ferryback to the other cars at Duncans.A good idea and one much appreciated by the group — the coastaltrail is very beautiful but inplaces pretty rough going.

The rest of us hiked on to KetchHarbour, some short—cutting throughthe spruce woods, others continuingalong the coastal path around theheadland. A recently—dead rail wasfound among the rocks and latertaken to the Museum where Fred Scottidentified it as a Sora Rail (Pon~.zanac,cut.oLLna.) ~ihich had started to changeinto spring plumage. Noting that thebird was very thin, Fred said hethought that it had probably beenblown off—course during the recentvery high winds, and had starved todeath on the beach. Nevertheless,the body was in very good conditionand Fred was pleased to add it to theNova Scotia Museum’s collection.

On being ferried back to Duncansmost people left for home around3.30, after a wonderful and invigorating trip.

However, one carload took itsusual side trip, making brief stopsat other little coves along theshore, sighting guillemots, cormorants, a flock of Oldsquaw Ducksand among the gulls at Herring Covea white Icelandic Gull. The highspot was at Purcell’s Cove where wesat for 30-40 minutes watching theHarbour(?) Seals on nearby rocks.We saw at least 20, some a palebiscuity—brown, others ranging fromsilver grey to charcoal. A, smallrocky islet in the harbour suddenlydisappeared — and we realised it hadbeen a group of seals, heads upraised, motionless on a submergedrock!

Sunday, 4 March 1984 Participants: 30+Duncans Cove to Ketch Harbour Leader: Philip Volckaert.Overcast with flurries — sunny in the afternoon — somewhatbreezy — temperature —2°C.

Grant Mitman.

OL~SQ~\,fDrc~e.

Doris Butters.

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SALAMANDER CRAWL ~84,

The Heart—shaped Pond (Julie~s Pond) at Rackingham on the BedfordSaturday, April 7, at 8~3O ~ Highway.

I received a call from Bernice at6~. 40 in the evening, informing methat the annual Salamander Crawlwas to be held that night, and thatwe were to meet at the Nova ScotiaMuseum at 8 o~clock. This I hadbeen waiting and waiting for.

While walking to the Museum Iwas thinking about what an inter~’esting life I lead — Saturdaynight and I am going on a salamandercrawl. WOW!! When Bernice suggest~’ed that I do the report, it seemedvery appropriate.

We all met at the parking lotand with flashlights and rubberboots, walked over to the stream.John had been there the previousnight, which was milder and rainy,so he knew the salamanders were upand about. Almost immediately wesighted a Yellow—spotted Salamander,then another, and within ten minuteslocated several of them in a smallarea, nudging each other, circling,and turning - really quite active.There must have been at least 12,and John informed us that there wasprobably only one female amongstthem and that all the males wouldtry to court her.

Further along we found severalunder the leaves in the pond,struggling to get up, though one.was playing possum (acting as ifdead). We sighted another group,again with only one female present,performing their underwater matingdance which broke up when our flash~lights shone on them. We shouldhave known better, as salamandersare such secretive creatures.

We then went over to the pond~ itself, where we could hear the matingcalls of frogs; here we spotted aWood Frog ~in the pond and a potatochip bag sitting on a stump,

There were many questions asked,all of which John answered so wellgiving us much additional information —

e~g,, that salarnanders can live to16 years of age, and are mature atthree,

We left the pond about 10 o~clock,a little more knowledgeable aboutsal amanders and feel ing fortunateto have seen so many in differentsituations,

The NSM has published an information pamphlet on salamanders andI was fortunate enough to pick oneup on the Sunday. The pamphletoffers not only the informationthat John gave us, but a great dealmore on Nova Scotia~s five speciesof Salamander, plus excellent black—and~white reprints of several of FredScott~s detailed drawings (the watercolour originals are beautiful - Ed.)

Place:tJate:

Participants: 13.

Leader: John Brownite

Weather: A gorgeous, clear and cool evening, about ±1°C,

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13Following are a few general notes

taken from the pamphlet - Unlikelizards, which have a dry,scaly skin,salamanders are amphibians likefrogs and toads and their skin issmooth and moist. Salamanders arequite common but because of theirsecretive way of life, most of usonly notice them in spring whenthey wake from winter hibernation andmigrate to woodland ponds and roadside ditches to breed. Males courtfemales with an underwater dance.The male then places a small Whitepackage of sperm (a spermatophore)near a female. If receptive, shetakes the spermatophore and holdsit to her abdomen until egg-layingtime. Salamander diet consists ofinsects, worms, snails, spiders

Thirtyfive members and guests,guarded by “Chelsea”, departedfrom the N.S. Museum carpark at9.40 am, and following a leisurelydrive, a brief regrouping, sharingof Muskol and conversation, set outat noon across a rather damp bitof trail,

On entering the wooded, uphillclimb, we found the going progressively drier. To our delight it wouldseem that most of the blackflieshad had their ‘fill’ on earliergroups, as we were only slightlybothered.

Goldthread, white and blueviolets and Spring Beauty werepresent in abundance; but the flower of the day was the Red Trillium.While not out in great number,they were almost flawless in bloomand presentation. One ‘quintet’was photographed almost constantly.Dutchman’s Breeches and RoseTwisted—stalk came in a closesecond in interest from our party.

The trail was in good shape,quite the driest in the experienceof most of us, and the almost totalabsence of litter was both notedand appreciated.

and slugs, They use sight andsmell to find prey. Nova Scotiasalamanders make no sounds and cannot hear, but do feel vibrationsin the ground with their forelegsand lower jaw. They can regrow legsor tail if these are bitten off bya predator. Newts also breed inponds, but Red—backed Salamandersand Four—toed Sal amanders lay theireggs on land. Salamander larvaeare slimmer than frog tadpoles,with flattened heads and featheryexternal gills.

The salamander leaflet is freeand well worth reading.

Rikki Garrett.

At the Split we learned thatthis was an anniversary occasion —

Lesley Butters’ 35th trip to thismagnificent part of Nova Scotia.

On the rocky outcrop, nestingCormorants and gulls were observed,though this year no chicks orfledglings were seen. Othervarieties of birdlife were notedalong the trail, especially by aselect few who arrived at theSplit after most of us had eatenand were ready to start the return trek, A multitude of interests was apparent from bird life,flowers, tree growth patterns, toanimal life and geology.

CAPE SPLIT — 1984.

Place: Cape Split, Scott’s Bay, Kings County, N.S.Date: Saturday, May 26, 1984Participants: 35 Leader: Pierre TaschereauWeather: Sunny and warm with a light SW wind,

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On the return trip viathe clifftop trail, Lesley and several individuals climbed down to Broad Covebeach — the area known for agatesand amethysts — but on this occasionfound more enjoyment than gem stones.

The remainder of the return walkwas quiet - the early evening suncreating most interesting shadowsand sidelighting for the visual enjoyment of all.

Nancy Wynn~

Not only the birders fell behindthe faster walkers, but Pierre anda small group spent a great deal oftime in close scrutiny of the wayside flora — noting especially theabundance and large blooms of SpringBeauty, many of which had a pinkertinge than usual with darker pink-mauve streaks. We also took note ofthe trilliums and violets. Amongthe less showy finds were White. Mandarin, Toothwort., Rattlesnake Root,Baneberry (White? Red?), Bunchberry,Kidney—leaved Buttercup, and closerto the water, Sedum on the point ofblooming. A number of other plantspecies needed a day or two more before coming into bloom - False Solomon’s Seal, Starry False Solomon’sSeal, Meadow Rue, Wild Sarsaparillaetc. Pierre also found the leavesof Stinging Nettle, a species nottoo frequently observed in Nova ScotiaWhile probing around an old stump wecame across the inconspicuous butintricately formed Naked Miterwort(MLte.~Uci viuda), another plant whichis not too abundant in this area.

(Newcombe, L., Newcombe ‘sWildflower Guide, 1977J

We fell so far behind the restof the party that even the chip—wagon was closing when we gotback to the parking lot at 6.45pm. But even then we didn’t wantto break it up, so several of usstopped off for supper at AppleTree Landing, a favourite restaurant of ours in Canning — afitting close to a lovely day.

Doris Butters.

From the 1880’s “How to” bookwritten by the English gardener,Charles W. Quin:“Crickets — Arsenic and Honeymay be mixed together, and laidabout for the creatures. Lay itin bits, about the size of a smallFrench bean , on the smooth sideof oyster shells, peices (sic) ofglass, or broken glazed crockery;it is necessary to use somethingthat will not absorb moisture fromit. This preparation must be usedwith caution, as domestic animalswill eat it and be destroyed thereby. On the nights on which it islaid down, exclude the garden catsfrom the houses, or these mostuseful animals will come to anuntimely end.”

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NakedMiterwort(greenish)