SOUTHER? GRID 
PRELIMINARY REPORT AT-SEA SURVEY NO. 13 
8-14 December 1966 
This report is based upon the observations and collections 
-ade within the Southern Grid during the period 8-14 December 1966. 
Considerably more time was available than durinm November 1966 
and a more thorough survey was conducted during December. As 
usual, the immediate area about Howland and Baker received the 
greatest coverage during the process of unloading and picking 
up island survey teams. The peripheral areas, distal from the 
two islands, were more adequately surveyed than during a number 
of previous cruises (see Figure 1). 
The Smithsonian survey party included Richard Crossin (3i- 
ologist-in-Charge), Kenneth Balcomb, Richard Chandler, Lawrence 
Huber, John Fitch, Richard Heiden, Chris Thompson and Robert 
Tuxson. Balcomb, Huber and Tuxson were on Howland during much of 
the grid survey. The grid cruise was made aboard the U.S.N.S. 
SHEARVJ i TER (T-AG 177). Differences of opinion existed between 
the ship's master and everyone else concerned regarding the con¬ 
ditions of the sea for skiff operation and surf conditions at 
Baker for an island landing. At any rate, neither operation 
was performed during the survey. 
Diurnal observations were maintained from sunrise to sun¬ 
set while in the grid area, except during the process of unload¬ 
ing and picking up personnel =*nd equipment at Howland i sland. A 
total of 665 miles and 73.8 hours of diurnal observations was 
completed during the grid survey (Table 1). During this period 
3,950 birds of 23 species were recorded and 11 specimens of “ive 
species were collected. Flocks were abundant, especially near 
* 
the islands,, during most of the survey, but broke up and scattered 
