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24 J n. Bob Standen arrived this afternoon, we showed 
him around the island, checked seals as well. There are 
very few seals on the beach now — Sand Island is back. 
While I transcribed data, and read. Bob and Dennis 
got some Black-foot xkekqckx returns. 
I put out 13 traps in an area where the rats were feedi 
ing on the live Laysan, then removed the laysan. Next 
morning caught 12 rats. Set traps for rat trapping 
25 Jan. Rat trapping all morning - we are catching large 
numbers of new rats - 40 new ones tod ay, out of 119 
rats trapped. 
Freeze the captured dozen rats for autopsy. 
Blue-faced Booby behavior. 01 has not got the new 
female. 05 is O.E. 
Blow out the Bonin eggs, spin down the blood sample 
from a "sick" "Laysan caught yesterday. 
26 Jan. Rat trapping AM. Checked Laysans before lunch - 
4 eggs were pipped - ^ &t days, and one at 63 days. 
No chick has yet emerged. Some papter work in the after- 
noon, checked Blue-face Booby behavior after dinner - it 
was raining, the birds were inactive, so x only stayed 15 
minutes. At 1800 I checked the laysan Albatross from^ 
whom the feathers on the preceding page were taken; the 
rats are continuing their xxxl±x assault. Lets look at 
this Laysan chronologically: 
1) . Sat., Jan. 23 - loose feathers all about the Bird, 
cut off, stubs of the shaft remain in the back of the 
bird - no opening in the flesh - seems healthy. 
2) . Sun., Jan. 24 - as above. . „ 
3) . Tue., Jan 2$ - small hole, i/'2" across, in lower 
back, area from which feathers were removed, slight bleed- 
ing, blood stains in region of uropygial gland, birdstilJ 
on°nest. It looks like the rats are wholly responsible 
for the deaths of these gooneys. Found Fairy Tern, 
broken wing - FN 204§0. , . . 
27 Jan. Rat trapping AM. Several rats dead m traps 
it was cold ( 56 ) last night, and many rats were wet - 
from their urine. _ 
The Laysan study nests are rapidly changing in charact 
er. 9 of the eggs are pipped or cracked - the chick has 
emerged from jnsaxagg two eggs so far. Many pairs are 
