nineteenth century ’scientific’ recorders. Another bias, especially in the early part of the period, is the giving of greater coverage to animals that were considered to be ’useful’ to the human population, i.e. those that were a source of food or other commodities, especially furs, as well as, in reverse, those that were perceived to be pests because their activities came into conflict with the interests of the human population.

I shall consider the historical records for each animal in turn, looking in particular at comments concerning: (1) the abundance of each species on the island; (2) the trophic or feeding relationships of each animal; (3) the perception of the human population of the usefulness of each animal as a source of materials such as food or furs; and (4) the perception of the pest or nuisance status of each animal.

I stress that in this appendix, I do not intend to carry out a full scientific analysis of the hypothetical inter-relationships that may have existed between the members of the island’s mammalian fauna before the arrival of Europeans. Instead I shall largely limit my analysis to the information emerging from the historical records themselves, so that in large part this appendix may serve as an historiographical analysis of the surviving records. The discussion at the end is also complementary to that contained in my earlier report on the French period documents, where topics such as the biogeographical aspects, food— chains, the vole eruptions, and the effects of the fauna on the forest, are discussed, and I refer readers to that earlier report.

THE MAMMALS

Shrews — Five species of shrew have been recorded on Prince Edward Island.‘1 However, the only historical records noting the presence of shrews are those of Sutherland (1861) and Bain (1890) in the latter half of the nineteenth century, who recorded the presence of what they called the ’shrew mouse’ and ‘shrew mole’ respectively

(Table 2-1). Both mention that it fed on insects.

4

ACCDC (2004). These are: Sorex cinereus (masked shrew). Sorex pa/ustris (water shrew); Sorex fumeus (smokey shrew); Sorex hoyi (pigmy shrew) and Blarina brev/cauda (short-tailed shrew).

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Bats — Three species of bat have been reported for Prince Edward Island.5 Not Surprisingly, the four recorders who noted the presence of bats (Table 2-1) listed them as if only one species were present. All four recorders said or implied that bats were common during the summer, and Bain (1890) said that they ”[hid] away in some secure cranny in buildings or in a hollow tree”.

The hare — The snowshoe hare (Lepus amer/canus) is listed by all of the list—makers except Hill (1839) (Table 2-1), and it is mentioned by nine additional recorders (see the footnotes of the table). Most of the recorders correctly call it a ’hare’, though a few refer to it as a 'rabbit’6, and two imply that this was its more usual name on the island7. Many recorders comment on the great abundance of hares on the islands. The only recorders to give any information on its habitat are Rowan (1876), who said that their "favourite resort was the second growth of young forest", and Bain (1890), who noted that they liked ”dry ground in summer" but ”frequented the swamps in winter”. This, if true, was presumably related to the food they fed on in winter, which Bain (1890) said was ”young shoots of trees". Rowan (1876) more specifically noted that they ate "the tender twigs of maple, moosewood, birch, willow and alder".9 Both Bain (1890) and Rowan (1876) said that in summer they fed on "grass". Rowan (1876) said that on the island their natural enemies were the lynx, the marten, the weasel and the fox, as well as birds of prey and man.

Almost all of the recorders refer to the snowshoe hare in the context of ’game’, and it seems to have been an important supplementary food source for the human population, especially in the early years of settlement“). At New London both

5 ACCDC (2004). These are Myotis Iucifugus (little brown bat),

Myotis septentrionalis (northern long-eared bat). and Lasiurus borea/is (red bat) (for which there is a sight record only).

6 Patterson 1774; Shuttleworth 1793; Anon. 1808; Lawson 1851; Sutherland 1861; Rowan 1876; [Lawson] 1877-1878; Bain 1890; Pollard 1898.

7 Lawson 1851; Bain 1890. I also note that all of the respondents to the Questionnaire (1876) used the name ‘rabbit‘.

8 Anon. 1771; Stewart 1806; Anon. 1818; [Hill] 1819; MacGregor 1828; Bagster 1861; Sutherland 1861; Rowan 1876; Bain 1890.

9 Two other writers also refer to their browzing on bark: Sutherland (1861) said they ate “the bark of young trees" and Pollard (1898) describes them as ‘browsing'.

‘0 Holland (1765: October) lists it as one of the animals that the refugee Acadians fed on; and early settlers at Point Prim were also