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D.I!. ShaH, 'Ill 0 1 opy Dept. M.U.N •

NEWFOUNDLAND NATIJRAl HISTORY SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

THE

OSPRIY Vol. 5 No.5 Sept. 1974

CONTENTS

Osp rey Editorship ...•... . .....•...............••• . 85 Salmonier Wildlife Par k . . ...•........ .. ... . ... . •• . 85 Gander Branch Report .. ... . ..•. . •• . ............••. • 86 President's Report . .. . ......•.. . •• • ... .. ...• • ... . • 87 Nature Sketches •. .. ...... . .. . . . . •• . . . ...•. . . ... · ·• 89 Bi r ds of Sain t Pierre •. . . . ... . •..•. .. ...... .. . . .. . 90 Fl ora News ....... . . . . . ..••. . . . . • . ••. • . •.•... . .•... 91 Bi rd Notes ......•.. .. ....••.. . . . . . •.....• . ........ 92 Insects 7 .... . ...... . . ... ... . .•. . . ... , .....•.... . • 93 Where have all the Butterflies gone? ... .......... 95

OCTOBER MEETING

National Parks Policy and Philosophy 8:15 p . m. Thursday , Oc t ober 17. Coughlan College

THE NEWFOnmLAND NATURAL IIISTORY SOCIETY

P. O. BoI 1013

5T JOHN'S, NEWl."'-{)UNDLAND Al 5 M 3

President Past-president Vice-president Treasurer Sel!retary

Ordinary Members

The Executive for 1974-75

Peter Scott Joan Scott Ruth Maunder P.D.P. Smith Claire Neville-Smith

Charles Davis Marlene Hooper Charles Horwood Tom Northcott Donna Todd

Field Trips for 19H

153· 13"J 753-~ 9~ Ii 126-68 8 519-0902 722-26?9

895-69i:> 153-Al! 4 519-6983 516-4235 726-9L91

Septemher 22 - Cohnet Park - Mosses and Liverworts Guy Drnsard SE'ptember 29 - Maritimes Shorebirds 1 Survey Special Pnject Oi~toh(' r 1 j -

~eetings for 1974-1975

September 19 - Guy Brassard - Mosses and Liverworts of Newfoundland

Oct:)ber 17 - Rob Watt - National Parks Policy and PhilosophY

Novenber 21 - Fred Pollett - Ecomaps (tentative title).

December 12 - Ed Ralph - Reminiscence of a Trip (tentative tit e).

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99~ Editor

We have come to the end of an era with the .2!.P!.!I. For the last 18 months John Maunder has done a superb job of improving and publishing the OspreY, All who read the magazine are indebted to him. He finds that he no longer has enough time to devote to it and he has decided that he cannot continue as edt tor.

Joan Scott and Peter Scott have agreed to carry on with the job of putting out the Osprey for a couple of months. They have heavy work­loads and cannot carryon for long.

Is anyone willing to become editor of the Osprey? If there is no one we may have to revert to a semi-annual or annual report!

The Osprey has tremendous potentiaL Mr. Etcheberry has sent in a splendid bird report and he promises another this fall. Is he the only bird-waOher in Newfoundland? Mr. McNeill of St. Anthony sent in his observations. Please send yours in. If you look at something and remark upon it - remark upon it through the pages of the Osprey!

Field Trip to Salmonier Wildlife Park

led by Denis Minty

Our August meeting was a combined talk and field trip. There was a good turn-out and we all enjoyed ourselves. The Wildlife Park is located just past Father Duffy's Well Park on the Salmonier Line. It may open to the public this autumn, all going well. The animals will be enclosed in areas which are as natural as possible for them. The beaver enclosure has been finished and it can serve as an example . A whole pond and a broad strip of shoreline vegetation and surrounding s trip of trees has been enclosed by a fence sufficient to keep the beavers from wandering off - as if they would have a reason: Their pond is beautiful.

The trail from the front gate to the beaver pond is worth mention­ing. The trees are huge ( the Forestry Department has found growth to be as good here 6.S anywhere in Newfoundland ) and there are ferns every­where and a lush carpet of moss. If there are no fairies in that enchant­ing woods it is not for lack of setting.

There is an interpretation building with a splendid view upstairs and two fireplaces downstairs. There are plans for year-round canteen service and a rent-cross-country-skis service.

The park has tremendous educational and recreational potential. There are only five young foxes at the park so far ( three red ones. silver, and. one mixture (black with red patches». They are all from one litter taken at Beachy Cove ( this restored Harold Horwood's credi­bility for some of our party). They were about 17 weeks old when we visited and just lovely . The arrival of a wolf cub from Labrador was anticipated when we were there.

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A picnic at Father Duffy 1 s Well completed a perfect day. We shared our provisions and the fact that the icing was accidently separated from the cake and had to be served separately did not in any way mar the meal.

Peter J. Scott

Report from the Gander Branch

The Gander Branch of the Newfoundland Natural History Society:: Yes. we finally made it. It has been a atruggle, which is not over yet. by any means, but we have at least started and I guess that is what counts.

The idea for the formation of a branch in Gander came in the Fall of 1973 but lay dormant until further inspiration and encouragement by the St. John's executive in early 174. As an attempt to get started we tried a couple of Uorganizational meetings u • but they drew small

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attendance and accomplished little, so instead we forged ahead and planned e our first speaking engagement.

Robb Watt, a naturalist from Terra Nova National Park thus became the first speaker of the Gander branch when on March 26th he gave a beautifully illustrated talk on "National Parksu . Approximately twenty people were in attendance at this opening meeting - the majority of these being nature loving youth of the community. This was followed a month later by a " r ock NightU in which three junior members (Robert Blackmore, Brian Peddle, and Keith Loveys) set up displays of rocks, minerals. and some geologic equipment. We also showed two geology films, after which, the evening was open to wander among the displays and try your knowledge at a "what is it?11 table. Bud James, a geologist with Noranda Hines, waa on hand to answer ques tions our three junior geologists couldn 1 t handle.

Ed Blackmore from the Provincial Forestry Department was our next speaker. He gave an excellent talk on the Native Trees of Newfoundland, suitably illustrated with slides made from a book by the same name, which unfortunately is now out of print.

On the July 1st weekend we planned to meet with the St. John's group at Terra Nova National Park, and in fact a car load from each centre did make it out. While it was a great weekend. it would have been much more fun if more interest had been aroused in group camping and exploring. Maybe another year we will be able to organize a larger combined field trip of this kind. Believe it or not, it was on this weekend that I saw my first Common(?) Tern ( I may have seen one before but never identified it as a tern) and my first black bear since coming to Newfoundland. •

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Then finally, after some delay, we felt sufficient l y organized to apply for official status as a branch of t he Newfo undland Natural His tory Society . This became effective on June 27, 1974.

Since this red letter day we have had one mor e meeting at which Jocelyne Mullen and Kevin Moore, naturalists from TNNP , gave illustrated talks on ~' Cal1oei\1g in Dunphy '8 Pond and the ecology of a lake" plus "Life along the Sea Shore". They also showed the NFB film. "The Death of a Legend" I which disproves t he many fallacies assoc i ated with wolves . It ia an e xcellent film which needs as wide a viewi ng audi ence 8S it can possibly get.

Our latest activity was a walk (would you believe wade?) along Salmon Brook looking for aquatic insecta . I even took a close up pic­ture of the eye of a dragonf l y - I hope it turns out. Rosemary Hewson , with a Master s in biology- entomology was leader of this exibition and our bug expert, while Jocelyn Mullen who came along just for her own interest, added imensely to our enjoyment of the plants we found beside the s tream. Our most startling discovery on this trip was a small patch of pure white fireweed, located beside the Trans-Canada Highway, just wes t of Gander.

well, that about ends this capsule history of the Gander Branch of the NNHS. With a bit of luck and a few more volunteer speakers we may be around fo r some time to come. Many thanks. St . John ' s ,for your patience and help in getting us established .

It would be great to see other branches forming around the province 80 that a steadily increasing number of people can become more awa re of Newfoundland ' s fascinating natural history .

Owen S. Lange

Pill:8IDENT' B REPORT

It 18 my bel1e! that a posit1ve approaoh should be used by 'Nature' magazines . when appealing to people to proteot the environment. I think people .. 111 be more rllling to proteat a b •• utttul vie .. or plant orlllimal than help el1minate a polluting 1ndustry or gravel p1t - even it' 1t amounta to the aame thing.

In the .2.G..t.u we have generally diacuaaed the beauty and details ot' nature since Burely 1t 1s the government's responsibil­ity to proteot our enTironment. I have al .. aY8 aseumed th1. and maybe others have too. We assume that the government that .. e eleoted 18 always aaret'ul in ita planning and doe8 not proceed until all haa been checked. The ooat ot' plana and stUd1es t'or government pro3eots would certainly 8eem to support th is assump­tion.

BB.

Let. ua then proceed to think ot our enTlroment and ita uee .Dd mloUI. wi th the prec .... d1ng thought. ln mlnd. Rae the beat plan tor drrelopment been a8e4 in deyeloping our r •• OQrcee . W. real1ze that resouroes or yarloua kind. muat be de'Yeloped bat aome ""7a .r. b.tt.r then oth.rs. W.ro the 1'lood1ng and lto oonaequeneea caretully studied and cons1dered at Ie7 d'E.po i r and Churchl11 Palla' Ia Come 117 Chence tho beat locatlon 1'0 . tho 011 re1'1n.17 ?

Let ua look to the near t'uturo. Ie • cement plant rea11,. the b •• t thlng 1'or the Port au Port Ponlneule , Wl11 the 1'.te 01' an,. of the rare plant. and animal. be coneidered wben the oement plant 1. bullt ? Should an alu.lnlu. plant be buUt in .., 4'.spolr?

The SOTernment haa tak.n 1'ull r •• pona1b1l1t1ea 1'or making t.hese decl.lona in the past. Ma7be the general popalao. ahould take part 1n planning. This rather no.,..l 14 ••••• eaggeated '0 .... b7. report in Naton Canada (APrll/Jun., 1974. p.41). An Knylronmental 11111 01' Rlght. hea been propo.ed b7 ClILAICKLJ!P (Canad".,. Bny1ronmental La .. A8..,c1.t10n and the Canadlan

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Knrtronmental La .. R •••• rah Pound.tion). 'l'heae people hen ao.. • good 14 ••••

Tho 1'ollowing .u_17 01' th.lr BnT1.onmental Bl11 e1' R1ght.

.PD-;:: i:wN:l~fX ~::~:-~qU1Tooal17 that oltl •• na baT •• rlgtlt to a healt~ and attraot1To enT1ronment;

2) tho le .... oald g1 TO an,. c1t 1 .... tile r1ght to de1'and an,. part or the enTlronmen't ln the court.;

3) the law would requ1re soolal and enTlronmental lmpact at.temen't. aDd ooat-beM:t'lt analyse. pr10r 'to deTelopment dec1alou;

4) the la .... ould g1Te clth.ns the r1ght 01' accaaa to all lnt'ormat1on perta1nlDg to enTlronmental lsaues and dec181oM;

5) the la .. muet giTe 01tloone the r1ght to partiolpate in the oett1ng 01' 8tandarde 01' enYlronmontal ~ual1t7 (ror uampl., aoceptable level. ot pollut1on) whioh are now treQuent17 dN.:t'ted in secret by civil aerTants in clo •• oooperation with epeclal lnterest groupe;

6) tho la .. should requlre that recreatlonal ar ... (parke) be held in public truat aDd oitizens ehould be able to pNTent vlolations ot that trust in the oourt.;

7) the law should allow OlaS8 actione; that 18, aD7 cltizen should be able to eue on behalt ot other aurioTed oltlzens tor damages reBult1ng tro. en",lronmental destructlon.

Do 70U thlnk thet tha N.w1'oundlend Natural H1ato.,. Socl.ty

:~u!:ka~~:a:~e~hebep~~:~a~ ~~e~~w·~;h r!~: :~e~a~8 e 'yea' or t no ' will do.

Peter J. 800tt

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• NATURE SKETCHES

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SPOTTED TOUCH-ME-NOT, JEWELWEED

A succulent. rank-growing annual, 2-4 feet high, found in wet, shady places and along damp roadsides throughout Newfoundland. It has soft, juicy stems that exude a clear juice when broken. The leaves are delicate and thin in texture, and arranged alternately along the stem. The flowers are 3/4 to 1 inch long, reddish-orange and spotted with purple dots, and hang on slender stalks . One of the three sepals is orange and forms a long-spurred pouch. A unique feature of the Jewelweed is the fruit. When ripe, the seedpods explosively burst at the slightest touch, rolling themselves into rings and scattering the seeds in all directions. In addition to the showy flgwers. a number of inconspicuous flowers are produced which do not open but do produce normal fruit .

opened seedpod and seeds

A similar species, the Pale Touch-rne-not, I. pallida, is found on the West Coast of Newfoundland. It be; pe~wers with a shorter spur. Both species bloom in August or early september.

Glen Ryan

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SPRING BIRD OBSBRVATIONS ON SAINT-PIBRRE AND IIIQUELON ISLANDS, 1974

Editor's Note: Roger M. Etcheberry , a new member ot the sooiety trom St. P1erre, has sent in some interesting bird obaerTat ions from the French islands ott Newfoundland's Bouth coast. Mr. Etcheber17 1s a marine radio operator at St. Pierre and 18 interested in general natural history, but more 80 perhaps, in blrd-watchlng. The bird observations below were made mostly by Mr. Etoheberry, but aome are those or Michel J. Borotra (II.J.B.). In sorne cases both made the observation •• lYe hOpe that the rollowing report is indicative or more to come. Observations Buoh 88 these are ot extreme interest in determining bird distribution.

Glossy 1Ja§: A bird ahot a tew days betore on Sailor's Island, W&8 identir1ed on April 19th.

Q!!lAJI!I~: 23 seen at Miquelon Between May 3 and May 5. Blook~: 3 at lIiquelon May 3; 5 on the two rollowing days; 16 at

Miquelon on June 1 (with LI.J.B.) . European~: 1 at Mlquelon on June 1, mixed with the 16 Blaok DUoks

and 2 Pinto il. ~ ~ 1 pair at Langlade on April 29 with a pair of Pin¥l. ~: 1 pair at Langlade on April 29 with the American Widgeon.

10 were Been 1n the 1s lande May 5 and Jane 1. ~ (lreen-wln~!.e,l: 3 DIlIles and 1 temale at St-Pierre on Usy 9. Blue-w1nged !.a.l,: 1 pair at Miguelon on June 1 (with II.J.B.) Burflehead: 1 :remle seen twice - May 5 and May 15 on the same pond

at Iii Que lone Plover: 2 at Miquelon on May 21.

: 1 at MiQuelon on May 3. S ott 1: 1 at Saint-Pierre on May 19.

~~::~e~p.1~::~~: o~ ;t 8~1~~~~~~r~~ ~::a~· 22. Bar-tailed~: 1 at Miquelon on June 1 (with II.J.B.) Black-tailed Godwit: 2 seen by II.J.B. at lIiquelon on June 15. :!l!ill31Dw Scoter: 2 orr the coast of Langlode on May 30,; 3 at

1!:e 83~ (~t!c:l~~ ~~~~B~j. and 10 at the 88"e place on ~ .§sJ.yp: A pair "OS seen by II.J.B. at St. Pierre on May 20. ~~: About 30 at St.Pierre on Usy 18; a few Been at Miguelon

and Langlade on May 21; and 75 to 80 at St. Pierre on June 15.

1!!.!:D~: About 20 mixed with the preceding specie. at St. Pierre on May 18. They gradually disappeared, w1 th none rema1n1ng atter June 18.

Q.!!tr Swallow: 2 were identified with the preceding species on May 22 (with M.J.B.); 3 were in the same area on June 15.

E!!n>~ Martin: 1 male at St.Pierre on June 14. 1 pair at St. Pierre, in the eame area, on June 15 •

.A!!!!I.:12.A!l R2l1!n: 1 at St .Pierre on April 4. l!tl!!!U Thru8h: 2 at st. Pierre on May 10. Qny~ Thrush: 1 at St. pierre on May 27; 1 at St. Pierre

on May 10 (II.J.B.). Swail1ll0n'8!!l.!:!!!ll: 1 at Langlade on Jane 7 (with M.J. B.).

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.Palm Warbler: 1 at Mlquelon on 148)" 3; 2 the next day. Yello'-ru~ti~; 2 at Langlade on May 15; they were Quite

numerous :from li.ay 21 until June 12 or 13 • .l!lWP.2ll !!J:l!lu: Numerou. at Langlade on \lay }O ( with \I .J .B.). Blac!t=and-wllite 1Verblar: A tew .eell at Langlade on \lay }O (with II.J .B.) ~ Watt;l~:i":~~.ti~en and a tew heard at Langlade on Jlay }1

rum~: Many Been Bt Langlade on June 5 (with M.J .B.). Thia 1s the most conmon warbler on the lelanda .

Black-thro.ted Green~: About 10 at Langlads on Juns 5 (with M.J.B.).

me n~: 1 temale at Langlade on Juns 5 (with M. J.B.). 1 burnla Warbler: 1 at LangladsonJune 5 (withM.J .B.). ~: 1 at Langlade on June 7; M.J.B aaw 1 or 2 at -wiiglade on June 5.

-b ~: 1 at at.Plerrs on June 8. ~ a b : 2 at St.Pierre on June 9. MlS!!2lli able: 2 at St .Plerre on Juns 11.

~~~~rA3r:! ~!;~l:trSt~~l;~~ ~~·Aprl1 28 and May 10. : 1 at St.Pierre on Idsy 23; 1 pair at Langlade on Jane 16.

R ~~: 1 at St.Plerrs on June 14 and tho tollowlng two day., and again on July 9.

Roae-breaated Gro!beak: 1 lmnature at Langlade on \lay}1 (with M. J.B.) ; 1 DB e adult at Langlade on June 16.

~: 2 at St.Plerre on June 10. Lark: A tlock of about 10 at St.Plerre on Apr1l 4.

: 1 at St .Plerre on April 8 and 9 wi th Juncoo . 2 at St. Pierre on Apr1l 8.

§pU£2!": a tew at St.Pierre on May 10 (with M.J.B.). k: 1 at noon at at .Pierre on May 23.

: 1 at Mlquelon on )ls7 5. =""",~l~'l!: A palr .een at \llQuelon Tillage on July 2

with M.J.B.).

FLORA NEWS

Roger 14. Etohe berry J

P.O.Box 212, Saint-Pierre.

This month there is a report of a record height for a grass in Newfoundland. These records should be reported in the Osprey and if there are any more please send them along.

Slender Wheatgrass. Agropyron trachycaulum (Link)Malte. 65Jt" high. Reported by Charles Horwood. Height verified by P.J. Scott. Collected at Gill's Cove, St. John's. September 1974.

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Young Razorb111, A!£A !.2m

Bird Notes

A Woodcock with 4 chicks was seen at Hummichog Park on the West Coast by a park supervisor on June 11.

Black-headed Gull (3 ad.), Stephenville Crossing, July 17. Least Sandpiper (20). Stephenville Crossing, July 17. Short-eared Owl: (1). Bay de Verde, July 21.

(L). Little Catalina, July 28. (1). Bonavista, Aug. 3.

Osprey: (1). Stephenville CroBsing, July 17. (1), George's Brook, July 28. (2). Bellevue Beach, Aug. 6.

Ruddy, Turnstone (50). Bellevue Beach, Aug. 6. Black-bellied Plover (21), Bellevue Beach, Aug. 6. Golden Plover (20). Cape Bonavista, Aug. 17. Sparrow Hawk (female). Cape Bonavista, Aug. 22. Red-throated Loon, Bellevue Beach, Aug. 27. Water Pipit. a flock of about 20 were feeding on the bar at

Bellevue Beach on September 11. About 10 Horned Larks (mostly immatures) were also nearby.

Glen Ryan

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The Insects - 7

Order Dictyoptera

This order includes the cockroaches and the ffiantids, the former familiar to and disliked by most people; the latter a mainly tropical group. though one introduced species occurs in north eastern N. America including parts of Canada. All Oictyoptera have elongated coxae and the forewings are thick­ened. 1 i ke those of Orthoptera, to form tegmi na. There is a spec; a' ; sed ovipositor and the eggs are enclosed in an egg case or ootheca which protects them . ---

Cockroaches have travelled with man in his baggage, cargoes, etc. all over the world and the cOfTlTlon house-l lving cockroaches can b~U e r-

that it ;s difficult to decide where they or;g;nat . T

¥l::~,",M ~,I tI1femaleM brown n colour and flattened from above down, so that they can easily

creep into crevi ces. The three mos t usual house-l i vi ng cockroaches are: Blatella germanica, light brown in colour with two longitudinal stripes on the pronotum and with wi ngs tha t cover the abdomen; Bl atta ori enta 1 is. dark brown in colour and with short wings which cover about half the abdomen in the male, but are much shorter in the female and Periplaneta americana (which probably came original1y from Australia) a large, pale brown, fully -winged cockroach. In the tropics these insects can and do live out of doors and come indoors to feed, so that it is very difficult to keep houses free of them. In temperate parts of the world they cannot live out of doors and if a house is cleared of them they are most unlikely to get back by themselves. They were formerly very numerous in bakeries, kitchens, etc (and were known in Britain,at least,as 'blackbeetles') but have become much rarer since the use of persistent insecticides, so that schools and universi­ties can no longer depend on them as insects for biology classes. This is why most colleges that use insects in teaching have locust colonies these days.

The ootheca resembles a brown purse, which may be irrmeditely deposited, usually under a ledge of a piece of furniture, or carried about for a time by the female or even carried about until the eggs hatch. The newly-hatched nymphs are small and pale and pass through 6 - 12 nymphal instars, accord­ing to species, before becoming adult. Cockroaches will eat almost anything, even such un 1 i ke ly subs tances as 1 eather and bookbi ndi ngs . They have a 1 so been reported to drink ink, but are much more partial to beer, which can be used as bait in cockroach traps. Many of them have an unpleasant odour, and can spoil food as well as destroy it, but their habits do not, in gen­eral. cause them to carry human disease.

Mantids are rather distinctive insects with the forelegs adapted for catching insects. They are all carniVorous and hunt their prey by stalking it, shooting out the forelegs to grasp it when they are near enough. Many are brightly coloured and spread their wings in what appears to be a threat­ening manner when approached. Their oothecae are fastened to twigs, etc. and when the young hatch they irrmediately disperse, or they would eat one another. During copulation in many mantids the female eats the male. start­i ng with the head. but thi s does not happen ina 11 species.

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Order Phasmida

These are the walking sticks or stick insects. also mainly tropical but represented in the U. S. A. but not in Newfoundland. The body and 1 egs are long and thi n and the insect looks 1 i ke a twi 9 or a grass stem and is. in fact, extremely difficult to see unless it moves. The order is strongly represented in south-east Asia and Australia. where some are pests of trees and crops because of their leaf-eating habits . In many species males are unknown and the females lay eggs that develop parthenogenetically. i. e . without being fertilised.

Order Dermaptera

This group includes the earwigs. well-known in St. John's as gar

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~~!:c~~ ~~!~rr!~t~n~~~i~~s~e~~e~~~ t~p~~r!~dog~~ :~~~~s e belong to the species Forficula auricularia which was introduced into N. Amer1ca from Europe probably in the last century and from British Columbia into Newfound~ land in the 19405 . They are about 1 cm. long. when adult. and can be recognised by having a pair of pincers or for~ ceps at the hind end. These are modified cerci and are used in various ways. including fighting and in food collection. The many~ 1 egged creatures without forceps. called 1 ear~ wigl in some parts of Newfoundland. are not insects at all. but centipedes. Earwigs will eat almost anything. including the bodies of their fellows and also dead woodlice, but feed mainly on plant material in nature. They do not often do damage of economic importance, and may be regarded as nuisances rather than pests. In St. John's they are definitely associated with human settlement. and halve moved into Centennial Meadows only this year. though the area has been built up for 5 years ..

Earwigs care for their young. which helps to account for their success . The female digs a hole inthe ground in late surrrner or early autumn. where she lives with a male. Some time during the winter. perhaps in March. she laYs a batch of eggs and evicts the male. The earwigs one meets in spring are almost all these homeless males. The female cares for the eggs, 1 icking and turning them from time to time. and also looks after the young during the first instar. Late in the first instar the young. with their mother, leave the nest and the young begin to fend for themselves. They

~:~~ r~h~~~~h t~e":~~a ~o~ n~~:r!i ~~~~~e ~~C~~!~~s ae~~~ :n~ o~~:r a~~~r s~~~re tit . may be a surrmer generation .

Earwigs have wings which are folded up under the short tegmina. and are used very seldom for flying . It is a puzzle why they have wings at all in view of the 1 ittle use they appear to make of them.

John Ph1ppo

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WHERE HAVE J\LL THE BUTl'ERFLIES GONE?

Judging by my own observations and those of a few other butterf l y enthusiasts I've spoken to, this year has on the whole been a poor but terfly year. The severe frost last winter, followed by a cold spring and unse t t l ed summer, has not been to the advantage of these beautiful insects . It would also appear that the Fall is not going to show much of an improvement . This is a great shame for fall is a time of blue asters and Red Admirals . Goldenrods and Painted Ladies; a time of Green Conuna's and Mourning Cloaks, and , if you're very lucky , the time when you may see a Monarch or even a Compton Tortoise She ll.

[)espi te the tiresome weather, I have made a few interesting obser­vations which you may like to compare with those of your own.

The COIllTlOn Blue or Spring Azure (Lycaenopsis pseudargiolus lucia) .... as indeed quite common this spring though by no means as common as some years. The first one we saw in the park this year was on June 3, considerably later than in some springs. These are four Blue's on the Newfoundland list and. possibl y we should spend more time checking the blues we see. In July t11e •• were quite a lot of blues when- I visited Cape St. Francis, Flat Rock and a bog near Stephenville Cros~ing. I'm still not sure .... hether they were the Newfoundland Blue (Lycaeides arqyrognornon aster) or the Arctic Blue (Plebeius aquila) or both! The identification of blues, Elphins and Coppers c~ trI"Cky. Writing of Coppers I photographed coppers of two very different colours this season. Some were 8et'initely the Bog Copper (Lycaena epixanthe phaedra) but of the others I'm uncertain. Was the different colour a 8ex difference , a colour variation or have I photographed the Dorcas Copper (Lycaena dorcas)? Incidently I released two copperSfrom a spiders web one afternoon -- probably an unsound action ecologically, but then I like butterflies more than spiders!

The Tiger Swallow tails (Papilio glaucus canadensis) were a week late in appearing in the park but appeared more sporadically and for a longer period than normally. On the whole, "I believe their numbers were down this year .

I also feel that Brown Elphins (Incisalia a. augustinus) and McIsaac's Ringlets (coenonvmpha tulli!! mcisMci) were down in numbers. We saw very few Elphins . The first Ringlet in the park was seen on exactly the same date as last year, July 2nd "

One very interesting occurance was the high numbers of Jutt a Arctics (Oeneis jutta terraenovae) seen this year. I don't know about you but I' m quite happy to see a couple of these butterflies in a season but on July 1st I counted no less than 13 freshly hatched specimens in one small area of the park . On t he previous day Dr . Mike Newlands saw around twelve in a totally different area of the park. These butterflies are hard to count for they are fast , err atic flyers and forever chasing each other. They are very hard to photograph and I ' m convinced they can hear my camera shutter go off at oil distance of four fee t! Not very scientific maybe, but they certainly have something going for them. Have you ever noticed how when they alight on the sphagnum moss, they close their wings , face the wind and then tilt themselves sideways? They also have an annoying habit of alighting well out of reach up a tree trunk.

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White Admirals (Limenitis arthemis) also have an annoying habit of staying well out of reach Tn the treetops. How they love to fly in the sun e amongst the birch and Aspen at the edge of the wood or along a forest-glade or logging road. I've spent a number of hours of my spare time trying to get a close-up photograph of White Admirals this year but they were always too nervous or too high in the trees -- I need them at eight inches in good sun. One evening when I came back from a days plant collecting I was informed by my wife that she and the family had stalked and got close to eight, one had actually landed on her. WOUldn't that get you down -- of course it didn't seem to help when I told her that this species is known to be attracted to such things as rotten apples and carriort:

Are the White Admirals moving east I wonder? The furtherest eas t I've seen one is around Grand Falls but I had a report of one on July 21st along the N. W. River south of Terra Nova National Park. As far as I know they've never been recorded from the Avalon Peninsula.

The Mourning Cloak (Nymphal j e antiopa) i. a beautiful butterfly that over winters (as does the Red Adtniral, Painted Lady and Hilbert's Tortoise Shell) in the adult stage. It is rare in the park so when my son found 21 of their catterpillars feeding on a small willow bush at Black Duck on the west coast we decided to bring them back to release here. We put one outside on a willow, lost two, reared eighteen to the chrysalis stage and hatched out sixteen. They spent approximately 21 days in the chrysalis stage before hatching. When they hatched they remained motionless till a fine wann, sunny day arrived, then departed. I've only had one sighting since and fear that the rotten weather has done for them.

In this modezn, hectic, materialistic and polluted world I wonder what will become of the butterflies. Thirty years ago I can remember how small clouds of butterflies were a common site in the English countryside. We spent many happy hours soaking in the SW1 and watching dozens of Red Admirals and Peacock butterflies feeding on the wild Buddleia bushes. Even though we have had as many as twelve Red Admirals at the same time in the garden here, I doubt my son will ever see the jostling groups of butterflies we had in the old days.

The society recently had an exhibit at the flower show. Part of this exhibi t endeavoured to get people to encourage butterflies into their gardens. The case of butterflies shown is owned by the Botanic Park and the specimens were collected in the hopes that by showing children and the general public the beauty of these insects an interest in their oonservation would be created. Unfortunately I gather that many people fOW'ld them so beautiful that they wanted a collection for themselves .

Though there are instances when a oollection is possibly justified I personally believe it would be more rewarding for the average person to try to , capture ' these creatures on film or canvas than to impale them on a pin.

The sight of a Red Admiral feeding on a Single Shaster Daisy, or a Mourning Cloak sW'lning itself on a licien covered rock; the glint of an evening sun through the wings of a Conmon Sulphur at rest---- these things will last in the soul of a child long after the pins and body shells of a collection have rotted away.

Bernard Jackson Oxen Pond Botanic Park Sept. 10, 1974

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