Wirt*:, W. March 
X965 AW 
reported and immature "booby early this morning, and I noted our 
tin identifiable petrel or shearwater about 1800* 
17 March 1963 
It has bee me hotter today, and there were very few clouds In the sky till 
about the middle of the afternoon when it clouded up from the south- 
east and we ran through a couple of hours of showers. 
This morning we noted 3 sooty terns, and several tropic birds, 
apparently of both species though there is some question on this. Two 
of them were definitely immatures. We have also noted several petrels 
| 
now which we have been unable to Identify with the storm this after 
noon we began to note what are apparently Christmas Island shearwater 
and slao Bulwark petrel. There is quite a size difference between these 
2 species, through they ere both dark and have similarly shapes t^ils, 
t\V 
* 
and it way be individuals of the letter species which we have noted 
previously* We also noted 2 sooty terns in the rain squall* 
This evening the sea calmest so the tit was almost like a mirror* 
There was only a slight wind from the east* The heat has oecoroe quite 
oppressive, and the monotony of the six days at see is beginning to grate 
on us. 
18 March 1963 
Today was calm, very hot and boring as hell. B ini on, John and I 
sat and talked on the flying bridge most of the aday. One of the ship*s 
officers noted 2 petrels astern at 0630. We saw 6 boobies the rest of 
the day, 4 being noted after 1700. Three of these were browns and one 
was masked. All 4 were heading south past the ship. One of the booties 
noted earlier was a red—footed, and the species was not determines on the: 
88 
