-7- 
Ruddy Tur nstone (2 +1 nocturnal) 
Bristle-thighed Curlew (1) 
Scarcity of shorebirds in the grid at this time is expected as 
wintering birds should have reached relative stability on their 
respective islands by this time. 
Sooty Tern (3276 + 591 nocturnal) 
Density increasel from 3-76 in November to 4.93 during the present 
cruise. Since considerable current cruise activity was undertaken 
in areas remote from the concentrate^ feeding grounds near the 
islands, the rise in density is considered to represent a valid 
increase in birds. The population over Howland does not appear to 
be any closer to settling down behavioCwise than it was in Nov¬ 
ember, but numbers have about tripled from last month. Only one 
streamered bird was seen and three banded birds collected, out 
these were all from Howland. To date there is little evidence 
to suggest that the grid birds are other than a population of 
Howland pre-breeders. An occasional immature bird is noted in 
feeding flocks, but these could be part of the spring-summer 
1966 breeding colony from Howland. 
• *- 
Gray-backed Tern (3 +1 nocturnal) 
The three diurnal sighting were recorded on 11 December m zhe 
southwest portion of the grid. This species has been irregularly 
recorded in low numbers on all cruises to date. 
Common Noddy (1A + 1 nocturnal) 
Twelve (9095) of the birds were recorded in a mixed feeding xlock 
about 100 miles south of Baker on 8 December. This soecies has 
a!ways been recorded in low numbers or even absent during some 
cruises. Its occurrence in the grid is unpredictable, but the 
Baker Island population must logically utilize the grid for feedin 
