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Index of Subjects
Index of Subjects --000000000000dfbdeb056ac056bf Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Thanks Marg for thinking of me. Gannets are well represented in the StFX collection. But since the topic has come up, I may as well send my wish list, which I have done from time to time via this venue (June 2015 was the last one, I think). Although legally, no one is allowed to collect for me (well, unless you have a permit), the meaning of the law is to prevent illegal trade (eagle feathers would be more of a concern than those of egrets these days) or spread of foreign species (thanks John for the info about the aldelgid). If you have something that may be of interest to me, just fire me an email and we'll arrange transport. ---------------------------- Firstly, thank you to many people both on and off this list for the donations of bird specimens to the St. Francis Xavier collection over the years. The collection continues to grow and my goal is to have an amalgam of birds which truly represents the richness of the province=E2=80=99s bird= s. I want to point out that no bird was killed *for* the collection. Hunters have killed ducks for their tables, and I have acquired the skulls from some of these birds. Most birds though are acquired after being killed by cats, cars or windows or succumbing to the elements. Specifically, and I hope I'm not forgetting anyone here, the following people have contributed a disproportionate amount to the collection: Ken McKenna, Tom Kavanaugh, Stephen Bushell, Fritz McEvoy. I was looking over the inventory of specimens recently and two things jumped out at me. The first is that I=E2=80=99ve got over 120 species of nesting bird represe= nted (about 180 breed in the province), and another 36 species, most of which are migrants. The peacock and parrot were both pets and are examples of some of the few which are not wild birds. There is a bias towards feeder birds (Purple Finch is the #1 window kill) and charismatic birds (members of the general public are more likely to pick up a road-injured hawk than a similarly injured gull). The latest additions to represent new species for our collection are a road-killed Virginia Rail (thanks Tom Kavanaugh) and the recent Trumpeter Swan (currently being beetled, thank you Eric Mills, Tony Millard). The bottom line is that there are many species still not represented here. The second thing that jumped out at me relates to the charismatic birds=E2=80=A6there=E2=80=99s an irony in the StFX collection that is refle= cted in uncommon species being represented, but common ones still, after more than 20 years collecting, are still not. Some donations of these species were too damaged to incorporate into the collection. I have no Canada Goose (or *any *goose), wigeon, or Gadwall. I have no scaup or Bufflehead. Hunters =E2=80=93 help! The heads are worth sending m= e (unless that=E2=80=99s where the pellets went). But I do have a Harlequin! Pelagic birds are largely missing, though auks are reasonably represented (Common Murre is the only one missing). I have fulmar, but need Shearwaters and Skuas. I need all grebes and Wilson=E2=80=99s, but not Leach=E2=80=99s,= Storm-Petrels. All terns and all winter gulls would be welcome. I need all the southern herons/egrets except Cattle and Great. I need both Night-Herons. Sandhill Crane would be nice. I have all the breeding raptors (diurnal and nocturnal), but need any migrant/vagrant. Very few shorebirds are here; essentially any would be welcome. I have plenty of Yellow-billed Cuckoos, but am missing our breeding Black-billed. I have Blue Grosbeak, but no Eastern Bluebird. I have no Red-winged Blackbird, but I do have a Rusty. In addition to those ironic misses, here are some other vacancies in the collection: I have no tanagers, wrens or GC Kinglet. Flycatchers are almost non-existent in the collection (I have one each of Kingbird, Yellow-bellied, Scissor-tailed and Alder). I have several of the sparrows which routinely show up at feeders, but no Swamp, Sharp-tailed, etc. No Snow Bunting, Tree or Chipping. Birds still in the freezer do not appear in my inventory, so if you=E2=80= =99ve donated something I=E2=80=99ve listed as missing, rest assured it is likely= still there. Please do let me know if you find something that may be of interest. I can be reached at rlauff@stfx.ca. Thank you! Randy _________________________________ RF Lauff Way in the boonies of Antigonish County, NS. _________________________________ RF Lauff Way in the boonies of Antigonish County, NS. --000000000000dfbdeb056ac056bf Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">Thanks Marg for thinking of me.<div><br></div><div>Gannets= are well represented in the StFX collection. But since the topic has come = up, I may as well send my wish list, which I have done from time to time vi= a this venue (June 2015 was the last one, I think). Although legally, no on= e is allowed to collect for me (well, unless you have a permit), the meanin= g of the law is to prevent illegal trade (eagle feathers would be more of a= concern than those of egrets these days) or spread of foreign species (tha= nks John for the info about the aldelgid). If you have something that may b= e of interest to me, just fire me an email and we'll arrange transport.= </div><div><br></div><div>----------------------------</div><div><br></div>= <div> <p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-si= ze:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style=3D"font-size:11pt">Firs= tly, thank you to many people both on and off this list for the donations of bird specimens to the St. Francis Xavier collection ov= er the years. The collection continues to grow and my goal is to have an amalg= am of birds which truly represents the richness of the province=E2=80=99s bird= s. I want to point out that no bird was killed *for* the collection. Hunters have killed ducks for their tables, and I have acquired the skulls from some of these birds. Most birds though are acquired after being killed by cats, cars or windows or succumbing to the elements. Specifically, and I hope I'm not forgetting anyone here, the following people have contributed a disproportionate amount to the collection: Ken McKenna, Tom Kavanaugh, Step= hen Bushell, Fritz McEvoy.</span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-si= ze:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">I was looking over the inventory of= specimens recently and two things jumped out at me.<span></span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-si= ze:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The first is