Gene Kridler to Roger Clapp 
Tape #1 
p.6 
March 1967 when we only saw about 150-200 half grown young, would then indicate that 
the breeding population in March 1967 was certainly less than either 1965 or 1969 and 
based on complete chick counts on Pearl and Hermes Reef the last k or 5 Marchs would 
certainly seem to indicate that the number of breeding albatross or the breeding 
population on an island will fluctuate considerably from year to year and I think 
that pretty much confirms or rather is confirmed by work done by Robbins and Fisher 
there on Midway where at times if I recall correctly, the breeding population may be 
a third of what was present of what was present the preceeding year. So then, if you 
then want to start comparing with what Rice and Kenyon saw there in 1957 you're going 
to have to take this into account that it's very possible that what they saw in '57 
may have been a big year for breeders as compared to some of these other years, and I 
suppose were we to continue checking each year, each March, that we would possibly 
come out with some sort of cycle there. 
Then under annual cycle - you state that several sets of observations in June 1923 
July 1964, March 1967 , I've added March 1969 , reveal that this species has a later 
nesting cycle on Necker than the Black-footed Albatross. Nests have often been noted 
in other areas where both breed. And this is true. The Laysan always seem to be a 
little behind the Black-foot and here again I don't think that the success at Kure is 
the same as at Necker. We sure don't see many remains of dead chicks like we do on 
some of the flatter islands like Southeast or Laysan and those we do see at Laysan 
especially seem to be congregated around the perimeters of the lagoon. 
Then getting back to Kenyon and Rice's estimate - there's always the very real 
possibility that by censusing them from the air they might have mixed some of these 
up with the Red-footed and Blue-faced Boobies since all seem to be nesting together. 
The next species page - the first sentence - it is possible that the breeding 
period could.be briefer than on that island since the Necker population is far smaller. 
I don't think so, Roger, I've lined that out, I'm inclined to feel that the breeding 
period would be the : same on Necker as it is on Laysan. As far as seeing a chick is 
- . - 
concerned, in either one or the other species, I recall, we saw several Black-footed 
