P 11 Mon. Feb. 9, 1948 Dist. 385 Day 24 Hrs. 00 Deck Noon Report Av. Sp. 16.05 3850 To San Fran.; 293 To Samoa Course 217.38 On Board 5/5 Marine Phoenix Lat. 10° 38' S Long. 167° 24' W Rain squalls around ship all P.M. The day ended as it started — with V.D. throwing birds off the ship! This morning at 8:30 we took the 2 Sooty Terns out of their silk stocking sleeping bags, & I threw the vigorous one over first — his wings took hold & he flew away steadily; the quiet one held his own momentarily but then volplaned gently to sea — wings spread on water. Probably no hope for latter — an internal injury? Tonight they came for me in the writing room. Another petrel of same species that H. Goebel — the 3rd mate — captured on deck last night. I caught the one tonight without his lacerating me with his powerful hooked beak. Dr. Lilley helped hold while I satisfied myself that it differed in no manner from the 3rd’s — description follows: 2 separate nostril openings on small central raised structure 4 toes — 2-3-4 webbed No.1 vestigial outer edge of toes brownish — also along bones (dorsal + vent) lavender leg color — outside, pinkish brown — inside, pale pink. (dorsal + ventral) webs of toes — pale pink with obvious blood vessels first 1° longest — 1°s outer vane black; inner, blackish-br. under-pts brownish-black, also under tail coverts upper trail coverts; upper parts same but blacker Top head — slaty-black; throat, slate gray (also sides of Hd.) culmen 1 7/16"; tarsus (rough meas.) 1 3/16 Tail 4 3/4" — 2 central feathers black, also longest Total length — 16" (or slightly longer) Wing — 11 1/4" 1° shafts (dorsal) dirty pink, bases white. (ventral) black. 2° shafts — white — see drawing for head Lat. — H. Goebel’s petrel Long. — H. V.D.’s " (0:30 P.M.) Mr. Speight saw 3 petrels “all dark” this A.M. (same as above?) I saw one tropic bird — about noon? — white tail, feathers — seemed to have dark band on wings (shadow of under surface?) — well off. Hard light sinds Hepache today — took it easy. Read & slept in deck chair and in bunk. Feel fine tonight.