f 
-5- 
were sighted frequently at night in the vicinity of the sea plane 
wreckage. On one occasion, in October, the female and two kittens were 
4 
sighted on the edge of the Sooty Tern colony with a freshly killed 
adult Sooty Tern. On Baker* two adults were observed at night near the 
northern part of the island. Several adult Frigatebird skeletons with 
tooth marks on the skulls were found in rusted out barrels near the center 
of the island. One cat was flushed out of a deserted hut on Hull, and on 
Swains, at least eight cats lived in the village with the islanders. 
According to informants, cats on Swains eat rats and small shore birds. 
Conclusion: 
In conclusion, the majority of islands in the Central South 
Pacific area support populations of at least one introduced species of 
mammal. Because of the lack of natural population controls, populations 
frequently have no real equilibrium. Predation, for example, may not be 
adequate to control populations. On Hull Island, cats were not common 
enough to control the Polynesian rqt population. More observations 
need to be made especially on population fluctuations and food habits. 
