74 17 Nov. This morning we made up stencils for more data sheets - I also made up data sheets for the Blue- faced Booby material I hope to get. Also made up card for a ♂ Gr. Frigate that had been sitting around the shack for 5 days. This bird is so equipped for gliding - even the barbs on the leading edge of the 10th primary are reduced, flattened, and compressed, forming a cutting edge to the leading primary. The ramus of this primary is flattened somewhat so as to form a more thin edge to the wind as the bird soars. The bird this morning was molting heavily, and was gaining new no. 4 primaries in both wings, extensive new rectrices in a apparently chaotic manner, and extensive body molt. The gular pouch was bright [illegible] orange. The bird was apparently coming into breeding condition. Three more Black-foot nests were staked out - two nest have been placed in such close juxtaposition that the eggs are 1 foot apart and the incubating birds must touch one another. It will be interesting to see if both nests last. 18 Nov. Rat trapping all A.M. We caught 15 rats, a good number of them new. In the afternoon I did the Boobies - the Brown Booby has gone - and the Wedge- tails. Three of the Wedge-tails have gone - so now there are only six left. So far all birds have had a very musty smell before they have flown off. No bird having the smell have been found on the next study day. 19 Nov. RATS AGAIN. It went a great deal faster today. We have been made aware of the problem with the Verbenana on this island. Not found here a few years back, it has now spread to large areas of the NAF AND SAF, as well as spreading in clumps over many areas of the island. The stuff is so thick it is in many areas crowding out the Scaevola. It is rapidly invading fields of Eragrostis, Tribulus, Boerhavia, and Solanum, and kills these native plants with ease. We have pulled out large clumps, and the ground is barren underneath, nothing survives. There are so many seeds sown that I doubt that anything short of complete and continued effort could control it. If it continues to spread, areas now utilized for breeding by