Rodmans Diary p* 6 
10/4/35 • Collected v ri us tparine specimens* 
10/5/35 - ’’tight shower in mid*raorning * Believes he has collected 70 spevie® 
of marine shell®* 
iO/7/35 * (Observed) that the coconut sprout enfeebled by rats gnawing the first 
leaves has not died but has nly one slight tinge of green on the . 
stalk. One of terrtr’s is la the same condition. The otter tea si 
ies-CIrt are doing well* Wind shifted to north for the first time 
since our arrival. ** *Ara further enlightened on the propensities 
of frigates la water* A frigate was farted down by otters for two 
five or six minutes periods and after floating calmly each period 
flew out with no difficulty* A score of mice tksas mm out in the 
evening to gather eruRfca***! am commencing to recognise certain ai «# 
and one immense rat which is fertsinly twelve inches long, exclusive 
of tail.** Mice are frequently spotted with white* One has sCsplot:^ 
o£ white) between the eyes .#*** 
10/8/35 » ^Vegetation is extremely scrofulous*. large patches here ami there*. 
are dead. M ..**Mlee eat pig*weed but have not seen a rat do ®e* # 
10/10/35* ”1 have teen keeping tins of br-ckish water before the tnet* ftats eorae 
*11 through the night to drisit and fight noisily* Sitting on my cot 
tonight I shot four. * 
10/11/35 * Light shower in morning* 
10/12/35 » Brisk shower before sunrise* across little sooty*black bird with 
silver white crest, t could get within a few feet of it but could not 
catch it* so thought to stun it with shot* but miscalculated air 
pressure 1 had put In gun and bird was killed mmb to my regret.** 
*Body was about the il.ee of a small doves. The flesh ted not the smalt 
odor common to sm birds *.. rt (Hawaiian Noddy record 1??) 
10/13/35 » ’’Every day when the tide Is out a large conclave ©f common boobies 
gathers on the email reef formation jutting oat near the stone marker.** 
10/14/35 - A short heavy shower at noontime. *lie sooner ted the rein passed over* 
than the frigates came out of the west in a slowly weaving line as far 
m$ the eye could reach. There must have teen tvsmty thousands.’* 
10/15/35 » **Two small showers today.* Vegetation astonishingly green and fresh.* 1 ' 
10/21/35 • **ilarris passed through ®at^p tesdsy this afternoon, the ■ ' t time I 
have seen him in weeks.****There has been a period of inactivity among 
the terns. A few hover over camp late in the day, sad' at night their 
cries are desultory*, so that the islAnd is unusually peaceful.** 
10/22/35 - **Saw a whale blowing* a mile or so, (off the island).#Captured s 
thoroughly venomous looking scorpion in the water cooler.it 1* the 
second I have seen on the island* ** 
