37 MIDWAY 11-13-63 The fairy tern population seems if anything a bit larger than in September, probably due to the fledging of all chicks. Two Common Noddy's were seen all day, and Four adult Tropicbirds were seen although I examined two freshly dead chicks, and one chick apparently weakened but not ( yet?) dead: It had the " bill disease " on the culmen, and the leading edge of the right wing. The wing part of the disease was nearly walled off as a cyst and apparently this is not necessarily fatal. But, the malforma- tion of the bill persisted. Hawaiian Noddy's were present in somewhat fewer numbers than September, perhaps 60 percent of the population being there. I can give no accurate esti- mates on the albatross populations. No frigates, boobys, or Christmas shearwaters were seen, and only one wedgetail. As mentioned previously, the bulk of the Bonin seem to still be there. Shorebirds: Two Br.thighed Curlers seen and Lt. Swanson of Security told me that at least 10 - 15 habitate the areas near the rifle range. Sanderlings are now common and I saw at least 40 in the overrun ponds at East end of the East-West Runway. Plovers and Turnstones are abundant and perhaps slightly more numerous than in September. Sharp-tailed Sandpipers are also common: In one spot at the over run ponds I counted 23 at once, and this all indicated with the data obtained at Kure that Sharp-tails are a regular member of this winter community. One small plover like white bird was seen, but this may have been an odd sanderling. I was amazed by the great numbers of singing introduced canarys: there were at least a hundred in the trees about the BOQ and Hospital. There was also a group of at least 12 ducks on the island - I counted that many at once, and perhaps there was as many 20 on the island. Because of the plethora of things that we should have collected, I contacted Lt. Cdr. Frye of Security and arranged to borrow a gun and some shells, and with Lt. Swanson who welcomed the change from office work I went to the over-run to get as much as possible. Total shooting bag for the day was 2 Green-winged teal, one ♀ Pintail, another Scaup-like duck of the same kind collected at Kure Oct. 29, 2 Sanderlings, 1 Plover, and 1 Sharp- tailed Sandpiper. In addition, a Skull-less, but otherwise complete skeleton of a small duck was located and collected as well as Fairy Tern and Bonin Petrel that were electrocu- ted on Hi-Voltage wires. I also found a Sooty ( ? ) Petrel that had been run over by a car about two weeks previously near the AEW hanger. 12 specimens in a day is not bad for