54 
Ludvrig, James P. 
1963 
• 
plane out for Midway. I brought back the completed McBee cards. It 
was good to see the group once again. 
Spent the evening working on the report, writing, and reading. It 
rained again. 
December l6 --Up today and rain until 1100. So worked on report some more 
and read Hall’s accounts on the Erolia in an effort to identify what I 
have skinned. In the P.M. collected more insects, saw a seal at jthe 
harbour entrance (yearling, oiled, no tag.). Walked through the overrun. 
At least two strange Sandpipers there, three teal, two pintail, two 
Widgeon and one Shoveller. Counted thirteen Sharptails, twenty-eight 
Sanderlings, seventy-one Turnstones, 1^2 Plovers, two Greyy Erolia 
and some other bird - half again larger than Sar|Lrling, darker above 
but otherwise similarly colored. Black legs. Made arrangements to 
hunt at 8 a.m., Tuesday and tonight. 
Saw more Hawaiian Noddies today thann in the past two weeks. 
Seemed to be numbers roosting in the Casarina at night, but few during 
day. They may be coming in at dusk or soon after to roost from the sea. 
I have been unable to count them on roosts at night but from their noise 
there must be plenty. Went Bonin banding but had little success 
(forty-seven birds, seven recoveries). The Bonins are very wary. 
Many have been killed. Pained out by 8:30. 
I did watch the whole precopulatory behavior in three pair of Bonins. 
No actual display, a very little moaning, BUT, the very same head 
pruning behavior I have seen as precopula for behavior in both the 
Albatross. The long session of preening three to seven minutes by the 
cf on the $’s head ends abruptly to no apparent signal and the c f simply 
