2.T& had lost all trace of contents. Three of the other 11 nests containin 
~y<'f y 
eggs in August still contained unhatched eggs, five contained small downy 
chicks, and three contained large downy chicks, suggesting that most of 
the eggs present in July must have been heavily incubated# 
As a result of nest marking activities in July and August we obtained 
pair data for 14 pairs of tropicbirds which represents about 3/8 f s to 1/2 
of the July nesting population. 
On this last visit a total of 34 nest sites ttepff marked (or remarked) 
to provide continued data on known nest sites# Each of the nest sites 
was marked in two different manners. On the one hand each site was 
marked with a large Arabic numeral in red-spray paint, the number being 
repainted several times to make sure the mark would remain until the 
next visit# Each site was also marked with a combination of vertical 
bars cind horizontal stripes, each horizontal stripe representing ten 
units and each vertical bar representing one unit - the total adding to 
the number designated by the arabic numeral# 
Twenty-eight tropicbirds were also marked individually with red 
paint so that future sightings of these birds (for at least two months) 
i 
could be traced to individual band numbers and known nesting status 
in August (and July, for a part of the birds.) Markings were confined 
to various designs on the belly and upon the wings. Observation of these 
birds in flight after marking had been completed suggests that wing bars 
and stripes are far more conspicuous than belly markings and are much 
less liable to confusion. These markings and the band numbers are 
listed in both Clapp’s small green memo book and in the 8 by 11 inch 
memorandum book labeled, Island Book, SIC # 14# 
It is of interest to note that one of the returns was of a Red¬ 
tailed Tropicbird originally banded on Baker island. As far as we 
know this represents only the second interisland movement among the 
SIC Islands® 
VJhile marking and counting tropicbird nests on 15 and 16, August, 
condition of tail molt was checked in the central rectrices for birds 
in all stages of the nesting cycle# Almost all (28 of j>5) were molting 
one of the scarlet rectrices to some verying degree while the other 
tail feather was of normal length# 
