BIRD DEPT. LIBRARY Rollo Howard Beck, Esq. Planada Merced County, California Dear Mr. Beck: It was very pleasant to receive this morning your note dated December 5 and the two log books of the 'France' which arrived by express a few minutes later. These are sure to be very interesting and I shall go through them with a fine toothed comb before I complete my manuscript on the petrels and albatrosses. The latter work is well under way though there is still a great deal to do. Let me know whenever you would like to see the books again and I shall forward them promptly. Only recently I returned from a voyage along the little- known Pacific coast of Colombia. I really learned a great deal, but for unending discomfort and the constant threat of disaster, it was probably the peer of some of your worst days at sea! I expected to have a 90-foot diesel cruiser, but she broke down and I had to make a voyage of more than a thousand miles against unceasing headwinds in a 38-foot gasoline launch. The ports were far apart, the charts poor, and the weather hor- rible, but we came through alive and with a fine lot of data. I'll send you a report on it in due course. Between us, you and I have now pretty well cleaned up the coast of South America. With best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and Mrs. Beck, in which Mrs. Murphy would want to be included, I am Yours sincerely, RCM:RC