Dear ajb. 
Since Kaz* 3 ?unna axA tedne are qaite basy today I aai^aking the liberty ot 
writing to make sta*© that yoa reoeiire the infomation ^ th@ Sooty Tern In 
plenty of time. This letter win presaraably reach yon ^rly n@sxt week i«Ki 
if at that time yon flM that yon need addltioiml details please let ns loaoir 
imm^iiately. If this is the case please state veiry i^ecifleally what infor¬ 
mation yon need. We win send it to yon at the hotel on Wake as soon as we 
are able to compile what yon request. 
The incubation period of the Sooty fern is 26 days, !W.s fact was 
ed ly B, ^^tson in I 907 from observations made on 16 nests on the Dry Tor- 
tngas. The figure is quoted widely in other literature but I have been unable 
to locate any indication that other workers have attainted t© verify it. At 
that time the same per^K reported that the young were coi^letely feathered 
at the end of 30 days and ” as the birds get older they begin to fly slKsrt 
distances. At the ersi of 35 days they can cover 30 to ^ ^oot very rapidly 
by a series of flying hops. * %rant wte} also stt^ed the birds ' on the Ehy 
Tortugas says that the young are on the wlog in two nonths. Whtson also 
states that Inoulmtion is by both saxes idth each bird sitting for 2k hours 
the change-over ©oourring at ni^t. After hatching the young are brood¬ 
ed by a parent for the first three daysf this careful protection is followM 
ly feeding by both parents ai^ a considerable increase in mobility of the 
young birds, Ihey learn to run to the bushes remainiag motionuLess after 
stickily their heads into the ©totoh of a bush or depressing the bo^y against 
ary oonvenissit object. Kie j^rents soon learn to rewgnise their own young 
and the young learn to respond to their own parents. Each parent feeds its 
own young ar^i attacks the jQvmg of any other biid which invades its territory* 
This leads to raaiy fights i®ong tti© adults aid much moiftatllty among the 
i^ung. 
I hope that this information is what you want aai will prove useful. If 
not let us ki»3W and we will puJU. together aid send anything else you nedd if 
available. 
Sincerelyi; 
Hobert A. SundeU 
