21 a bit of time working on the equipment. We also set up a dermes-tid colony, and began bugging rat skeletons. My bird skeletons are being individually bugged in their own plastic bags, and results are promising. Unfortunately, the wind played hell with a number of the skeletons which I had drying outside, and several were discarded after being completely dismembered. I noted the following birds soaring in todays wind: Frigates and Red-footed Boobys use the wind gracefully and easily. Brown Booby were not seen, but Masked Boobys were flying usually close to the ground. No tropicbirds and few noddys of either species were aloft. 10-18-63 Rain and high winds continued for most of the day and it finally cleared in the late afternoon for a bit. Went hunting and got thoroughly drenched. In the AM worked on Rat Skins with Bill, and late in the afternoon after supper went seal tagging, getting only a few. Apparently, many of the seals are out to sea at the present time in the storm. Many of what was here a few weeks ago seems to have left. 10-19-63 In the AM we moved our laboratory out into a breezeway to make way for the incoming work crew of tomorrow. Bill talked with Ammerman about bringing supplies out from Honolulu, and we got that business straight. I began work on the McBee cards and realized for the first time just how detailed a study of each specimen is desireable. I wish we had brought these with us when we came out. Late in the afternoon we went seal tagging again and got three more new ones: There were only eight seals on the island. I shot two noddies out of a flock which was feeding a little off shore, and saw another Erolia down by the dump. So far the albatross have not come back, but the SAR pilots from Midway spoke of seeing two back there on the 15th. The last adults left there about August 20, and so it has been nearly two full months since any were seen there. Yesterday I shot a Yellowlegs which fell into the lagoon and I could not reach it before the wind had swept it to sea. Bill saw another today. The Aythya sp. duck which I saw yesterday has not been seen since and I have been completely around the island twice. I presume that it has moved on. No passerines have been seen in several days although with a clearing of the weather, some may make themselves apparent. Saw a large Plover undoubtedly a Black-bellied.