_Remarks._—Some very dangerous and well-executed forgeries of this and the previous set of stamps exist. They are quite as well engraved as the real stamps, and were it not that the designs are of somewhat smaller dimensions, they would be most difficult to detect. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. PRELIMINARY NOTES. _BY E. D. BACON._ This island is situated between 46° and 47° N. lat., and between 62° and 64° W. long. Its area is about 1,380,000 acres; it is about 140 miles long, and 34 its greatest breadth. It was discovered by Sebastian Cabot, 1497; it was first settled by the French, but was taken from them in 1758. It was annexed to Nova Scotia in 1763, but, on the petition of its inhabitants, was constituted a separate colony in 1770. By an Act passed in 1798, which came into operation 1st February, 1799, the island received its present name from Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. The introduction of postage stamps into the Colony took place on January 1st, 1861, as the following notice from _The Royal Gazette_ of that date, published at Charlottetown, proves: “POSTAGE STAMPS. “The Public are hereby informed that stamps for the prepayment of Letters and Packets to be sent by the Post will, on the 1st January, 1861, be ready for circulation. The design, colour, and value of each class of stamps are as follows: The Queen’s Head, profile _green_, Six Pence. ” ” ” ” _blue_, Three Pence. ” ” ” ” _red_, Two Pence. “The _blue_ or _red_ stamp will be received for payment of half the sum it indicates, if cut in two diagonally. “These stamps can be had at the General Post Office, Charlottetown, and of all Postmasters on the island. “(Signed) L. C. OWEN, _Postmaster-General_. “GENERAL POST OFFICE, _December 26th, 1860_.” We see from this notice the first issue consisted of three stamps, forming five values with the two provisionals. Those first issued were evidently the Two Pence, Three Pence, and Six Pence, perforated 9, as they are the only values found with this large perforation. With regard to the two provisionals, Mr. T. K. Tapling’s collection contains a specimen of the Three Halfpenny, but I have never seen the bisected Two Pence. The latter probably could only be employed for the prepayment of books, &c., and consequently the stamps would get destroyed. It may be also this provisional was soon replaced by the One Penny, orange-yellow, when there would be no further call for its use. The disappearance of the variety, although in this case we know the stamp was so used, naturally strengthens the suggestions I have thrown out as regards the bisection of the Two Pence Halfpenny and Three Penny stamps of British Columbia for the prepayment of newspapers.