from a number of recently begun nests about 50 to 150 yards east and 
northeast of the perimeter of the Lesser Frigatebird colony and between 
the Lesser Frigate colony (in the grove of dead Cordia ) and the Fed¬ 
footed Booby roost on the single live faordia clump present on Howland* 
On 1? August 10 to 15 eggs were candled in this area. The eggs were in 
all stages from fresh (one found) to slightly incubated to heavily 
incubated. At least 60% of these eggs, judging from their degree of 
incubation, had been laid since our July visit. 
Concomitant with increased numbers of nesting Great Frigatebirds, 
the numbers roosting on the leeward shore decreased# Only two or three 
birds were seen roosting there on the night of 17 August whereas at 
least fifty were roosting there on 20 July* 
On the July visit 20 nests with eggs were marked for rechecking 
on the succeeding visit. Twelve of these nests were found on 14 August. 
Only one of the twelve nests lacked contents, an incidence of nest 
failure of only 8$, a conspicuously lower figure than the 55% recorded 
for Red-footed Booby. Three of the 11 nests found still contained eggs, 
one contained a hatching egg, two contained naked chicks, and the other 
five contained downy chicks of varying sizes. These observations 
indicate a rather prolonged nesting cycle with no pronounced peak* 
Lesser Frigatebird . Estimated population -: 10,000+10% 
(Fregata ariel) Estimated breeding population- : 9 * 500+10% 
Estimated number of nests -: 4,750^10% 
Estimated % nests with eggs —■-•: ca* 20-25% 
Estimated % nests/small downy chicks sea* 59-55% 
Estimated % nests/large downy chicks:ca. 20—25% 
Estimated % nests/ immatures : less than 5% 
Berlese samples talien —•———■——--2 10 
Sera samples collected —*--—-—-• 25 
Humber banded - - - --2 2o 
Specimens collected---1 
The only pronounced change in the Lesser Frigatebird colony (aside 
from an expected maturation of the nesting cycle) was a sharp decrease 
in the number of birds nesting in the northwesternmost part of the colony* 
This area, in which density counts were taken on the previous trip, has 
but relatively few birds now nesting in it, perhaps less than a fifth as 
many as in July. 
