Report on a Trip to Marcus Island with Notes on the Birds 
Nagahisa Kuroda^ 
Marcus Island, situated about midway be- 
tween the Bonin Islands and Wake Island in 
the western Pacific, is a small, remote island 
which belonged to Japan until World War 
II and is known to the Japanese as Minami 
Torishima, the South Bird Island. It is now 
in the possession of the United States, but a 
Japanese weather station, constructed after the 
war, is the only establishment on the island. 
A zoological survey of this island was 
planned by Hokkaido University, which sent 
Mr. M. Yamada (for the litoral invertebrata) 
and Mr. S. Sakagami (for the insects). I 
joined them to make bird investigations, 
through the kindness of Professor T. Uchida, 
Hokkaido University, Dr. S. Wadachi, head 
of the Central Weather Station, and other 
gentlemen of the Station— Mr. N. Yamada, 
the Chief Secretary, Mr. Y. Nakada, head of 
the Marcus Island Section, Mr. T. Doi, the 
head, and Mr. S. Kitada, the secretary, of the 
Supply Section, and other people concerned. 
My cordial thanks are due these gentlemen 
and also Dr. H. E. McClure of the 406th 
Medical General Laboratory in Tokyo. 
Taking advantage of the supply ship, "Ku- 
roshio-maru” (450 tons), in charge of the 
Central Weather Station of Tokyo, we left 
Tokyo Harbor on April 25, 1952, arrived at 
Marcus Island on April 30, and stayed for 
a week until we embarked on May 7 to 
return to Tokyo. It was an intergrading sea- 
son, the weather ranging from winter to sum- 
mer type, and the sea was rough with N.N.E. 
winds which prevailed in about 4-day cycles, 
1 Yamashina Museum of Birds, 49 Nanpeidai-machi, 
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Manuscript received Jan- 
uary 29, 1953. 
alternating with a summer wind from S.- 
S.S.W. which calmed the sea and brought hot 
atmosphere. Navigating southward through 
latitudes of about 28-33° N., far east by 
south of Hachijo Island, the change of tem- 
perature and the color of the sea showed the 
demarcation between temperate and semi- 
tropical waters. The southerly rear-guards of 
the Black-footed Albatross, Ptijfinus carneipes, 
Storm-Petrels, and Skuas, which were migrat- 
ing to the temperate zone, were already in 
the cooler area north of the aforementioned 
latitudes. To the south, tropical species such 
as Puffinus nativitatis and Pterodroma were en- 
countered. Sea birds in general, however, 
were scarce, the main group of oceanic mi- 
grants having passed north already, and the 
tropical species were probably concentrated 
around the breeding islands. Only the follow- 
ing species were seen en route: 
Oceanodroma tristrami (or matsudairae) 
A few were seen scattered over the ocean 
and followed the ship but were distributed 
north of about 27-28° N. 
Oceanodroma castro (or leucorhoa) 
Two were observed closely on May 10 at 
about 33° N. 
Puffinus leucomelas 
Many were observed near the mouth of 
Tokyo Bay on April 26, and a few were seen 
north of 30° N. on May 10. 
Puffinus carneipes * 
Six birds in all were seen north of about 
33° N. on May 10. 
Puffinus tenuirostris 
Two or three were seen as far south as 
about 26-27° N. on April 29. They were late 
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