Pearson - 1996 22 of satellite competition, and he would love to live up there. 11 December - Partly cloudy and hot; 82 at 3:30 p.m. Put sheep droppings in the xanthorhinus cage in the morning; not eaten by late afternoon. Then put filter paper under the second (smaller) Euneomys and under the xanthorhinus. In the evening added two sheep droppings to each cage except the two urine-collection cages. Sage photoed frogs and Euneomys. Went up to Ecotono to see Andrea Keithberger, but she was out of town. Saw Rapoport briefly and Karin, who is working now with Tommy Keithberger on Nothofagus and cipres. At 7:30 p.m. went up to see Dr. Stanley Fox from Oklahoma, who is studying the impact of ultraviolet light on frog and toad development under the ozone hole. They had spent a couple of months in Buenos Aires at the Museum, and will be going down to Torres de Paine next week. 12 December - Morning sunny, calm, warm. Overnight low was about 60. None of the captive mice ate their sheep droppings (2 Euneomys, 2 Eligmodontia, 2 Ako longi, 1 Ako xantho). All cut off pieces of Ephedra stem, and the longipilis even cut the bark off of some of it, but they obviously are not wild about it. Collected urine from Euneo 8126 and from the Ako xantho. Went on the new catamaran to Isla Huemul at 10 a.m. The island is 1 km offshore and had been abused in the past by atomic reactors, military excercises, etc. We wanted to se what species of mice live on the island and especially whether Oligoryzomys is one of them. The concessionair, Favio Balest, is suffering because of the absence of tourists because of the Hanta virus scare. He is hoping that we will find no Oligoryzomys, or that if we find them they will prove to be negative for the virus. Then he will be able to extoll his Hanta-free island. Anita and I were both impressed by the whole operation: everything clean, well managed, the boat on time, Christmas decorations up, good morale among the employees, and all interested in what we were doing. Oscar Darwich is manager. A well-marked trail runs up to a mirador through several kinds of habitats, as well as old abandoned buildings. The vegetation is Nothofagus dombeyi, cipres, radial, Mayten, bamboo, no Scotch Broom, lots of rosa mosqueta