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5 . 
Progress Beport 
SIC Bo 7 - February 26 - March 18 
evening flying offshore. 
Christmas Island 
The party was divided into tvo groups with the assistant project leader 
visiting the islands in the main lagoon and the Project leader visiting the 
main island and islands in the landlocked lagoons. An usually large number 
of Bristle-thighed Curlevs were noted on the main island and Audubon Shear¬ 
waters were noted breeding for the first time in Isles Lagoon. Six colonies 
of Sooty Terns were seen on the main island with large chicks, some nearly 
ready to fly. Large numbers of Phoenix Island Petrels were encountered on 
the islands in the main lagoon and many were banded. A few Christmas Island 
Warblers were noted singing at the airfield. 
Palmyra Island 
The most unusual thing here was the immense colony of Sooty Terns. 
As. usual a full moon was shining. The runway was being utilized by these 
birds for nesting. ' There was evidence that at least two different groups 
were nesting, as some had chicks at least one week old while most were just 
to hatch. One band return van picked up on a Sooty Tern. It had 
teen banded April 1, 1964 last year. Had the moon been dark, we could have 
easily banded 15-20000 birds. Possibly the most noteworthy thing that 
happened here was the U. S. Navy eating fish from the reef and the result 
was six cases of IchthyosaTcotoxism. One of the men was affected worse 
than the others and was in a state of almost total paralysis for a period 
of 3-4 hours. As if little gremlins were plaguing them, they also had one 
man with a badly cut hand from a Surgeon fish and another who fell on the 
deck and slipped a disc in his back. 
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