A . Anderson 
1964 
Oct. 24 - Sydney Island 
Landed Sydney 0900 and took accomodations in a spacious building in 
excellent repair. Named it the Sydney Hilton as it surely must have been 
a hotel for visiting Gilbertese coconut specialists, etc. 
More coconut trees here than on Gardner, and more widespread; the occu- 
pants of the island however, had left for the same reason three years ago: 
drought killed too many trees. There was a small village 1/3 mi. W of our 
hotel (see sketch) now abandoned to quite abundant Polynesian rats and a 
few stray dogs and cats. The stfene floors of the huts hid many 1 1/2" 
scorpions as well as numerous beetles, spiders, and roaches. Skinks and 
gekkos could also be found occasionally, especially around a cement cistern 
at the center of the village. A different species of gekko was common at 
the base of the leaves of Mirinda, a lush green bush with 1" white fruits 
growing to about 10 f . 
Hermit and other crabs appeared less plentiful here than on most of the 
islands visited so far. 
The lagoon itself is a disgusting affair, sporting 3~5 T deep mud, guano, 
salt and plant material around its edges. It contains many small islands 
which are probably the results of dead coral heads. The lagoon water drops 
off sharply at all the points I had the honor to experience to about 20-30 
ft. The water is highly saline and stinging to the taste. 
Several dozen common noddies and a few gray-backed terns nest on the 
islets in the lagoon, almost all on the one blacked in on the sketch. In the 
late afternoon I was chosen to swim out to this place with Nos. 2 and 3 bands. 
I found l4 noddy chicks and 3 eggs, and 2 gray-back chicks. Paul went out 
the next morning to get three Berlese samples and, being free from the pressure 
of coming darkness, found 2 more noddy chicks and a gray-back nest. Evidently 
this is the only place gr ound-nesters find safe under the pressure of cat 
predation. 
A whale skull about three ft. long was collected at the E end of the 
island; also a whole porpoise carcass in fairly good shape was brought home. 
Several birds were collected around the lagoon: a gray-backed tern, a 
common noddy, two golden plover, two wandering tattlers, a sharp-tailed sand- 
piper, a fairy tern. We caught a tattler and a ruddy turnstone in mist nets 
set at the edge of the lagoon and sanded them. 
Much successful botanizing was done. 
Oct. 25 
Pour white-tailed tropicbirds were seen, and several more fairy terns. 
Nov. 3 
Arrived Phoenix Island 1630, embarking 2 boatloads. Upon landing the 
second boat chose to turn sideways, freeing itself of the large majority of 
its passengers but no damage was done. The fjeLd party had assigned two new 
members, Captain Holway and his assistant, who take over the entomological 
