Gill, Douglas E. 1964 -135- Soon after returning to the hotel I started skinning a young Noddy. The skin kept tearing, and after 4 hours I was practically tearing my hair out. I was nearly in a frenzy at the end and hurriedly finished the bird, I walked around the block to cool off, and had a rum and soda when I got back. I started another Noddy and was rapidly becoming impatient with that bird too. When I found I had tied my wings with one wing twisted I exploded and smashed the bird with my fist. It didn't hurt it fortunately so I corrected the problem and finished at long last. It was pretty decent. I hit the sack on edge. 16 August 1964: I heard Larry straightening things up and repacking the birds in the cooler with ice in the morning but was too tired to get up. I finally did at 1030 again. I spent the morning and early afternoon writing a letter, a reply to Fred's letter. At 2:30 I started skinning young Sooties. I finished my first in just over two hours. I was careful and patient, everything went well and it turned out to be a half decent skin. I had dinner then at the Colonial House after fruitlessly looking for a new place to eat on the main drag. A set of three French girls dressed in tight sweaters sat at the next table and it was interesting to hear them converse in French. When I returned I turned on the radio and recognized Mahler. So I sat and listened to and enjoyed his Das lied ban der Eder. Larry and I argued about the impression we were making on other people, he thought we were being laughed at by all, and I thought things were ok. By 1900 we started skinning again, and I finished another young Sooty in 1 hour 50 minutes. The next bird took 2 hours and about 30 minutes. Both came out