streamering Sooty Terns. Despite the slight variation in routing, 
for the purposes of comparing the avifauna, the present cruise has 
been divided into three sections comparable to that followed in the 
SIC 9» H» and 13 reports as follows: 
AREA A . Honolulu to Southern Grid (Howland-Baker), 5~11 July 1966. 
AREA B . Southern Grid to McKean and Gardner Islands, Samoa, Jarvis 
Island and return to Southern Grid, 23 July to 14 August 1966 
AREA C . Southern Grid to Oahu, 20-26 August 1966. 
AREA A . Total Birds 
SIC 9 SIC 11 SIC 13 SIC 14 
197542 2512 3597 2000 
The lowest number of birds for the last four SIC cruises was 
recorded during the present cruise. This is a direct result of not 
routing through Johnston Atoll during the present cruise as has 
been done on all three previous cruises. Peak bird days were noted 
on 5 July from Oahu southwest and on 9 July between 10 and 8 degrees 
north. Large numbers of birds, usually in feeding flocks with tuna 
schools present, have been sighted at various points between 3°and 
10° N on practically all cruises. During SIC 13, for example, huge 
flocks were noted on 4 April between 6°and 7”4o" N. This productive 
i 
area, apparently the result of current upwelllngs, should be invest¬ 
igated further when a suitable skiff for at-sea collecting has been 
obtained. The presence of large numbers of dark-phase Wedge-tailed 
Shearwaters among the mixed feeding flocks found in the area indicate 
that the birds are likely from - the Phoenix and perhaps the line 
Islands, but collecting large numbers, especially Sooty Terns, should 
produce some positive band recoveries. 
