A. Anderson 1964 13 October (cont.) Activity studies were run every hour. 14 October - Baker Island Set out at 3 AM for the large club of boobies observed forming in the evening. A party took 40 blood samples from the common noddies, and another took 20 samples from scattered boobies not in the club. Long and I managed about 110 bands before the birds had scattered. The club when we first dipped into it held 400-500 birds; about 100 took off immediately and the rest were semi-workable. Over half a dozen Howland boobies turned up with fresh cpaint from several days previous. After the club split up for the night it formed scattered groups of 3-7 along the S beach which we worked, banding about a score more. Returned to camp about dawn. Skinned birds after breakfast and then went banding common nobby chicks in a guano-laden stagnant lagoon fed by oceanic seepage. The colony was on a tiny island (100 yds x 4 yds) in the middle of the lagoon, protecting the nesting birds from the cats which lived here until the last (June - July) ATF trip. The cats seem to have feasted largely on frigates, as many empty oil drums held their skeletons. Presumably the cats had dragged them there to eat. Noddies were in all stages of nesting from egg to flying fledglings. All age young were banded. After lunch miscellaneous collection of skinks, geckos, mice and crabs was done. Skinks were very abundant everywhere, and geckos lived especially on the sides of the lighthouse. Mice could be seen at night every fifty feet. Hermit crabs were more numerous than on Howland; many hundreds could be found in the shade of a barrel or metal wall during the day. Land crabs were more widespread but less abundant. More skinning after dinner. Baker Island - October 15 Up at 1 AM to hit the blue-footed booby club again. All six of us (including the botanist) went for them but after we had made one round of bands the entire club took off when our backs were turned. After that we all spread out and picked up what stray we could find. In all, we banded the majority of birds in the club, judging by estimated size of the club as 400. I went to the surf-coral side )E( of the island after this to look for cowries and other nocturnal littoral species but the coast was quite sterile except for the thousands of rock crabs and two gray morays. Toward midmorning most of us went back to the E side with fish poison and nets. We found hundreds of big-eyes (red squirrel fish), many jacks, surgeon fis fish, one red snapper, angel fish - about 35 species altogether. Crabs were extremely numerous (not killed). McKean Island - Oct. 18 Landed McKean 0900 on beach rock at low tide with fairly calm surf circumstance. No beach landing available. Pitched camp and set out to circle the island with all manner of booby bands and greater frigate bands.