to the surface by skipjack. The heaviest concentration of birds was 
found on the eastern leg where perhaps some effect of the Humboldt cur¬ 
rent may have brought fish to the surface. 
AreaJ^. 5°N-10°N along 112°W 
A rich counter-current with moderate winds^ choppy seas, and rain 
squalls characterized this area. Large flocks of Sooty Terns and Wedge¬ 
tailed Shearwaters with assorted Pterodroma made this area quite inter¬ 
esting ornithologically. Plankton counts were higher in the North 
Equatorial Current, and yet bird populations were always found in the 
narrow counter-current. Complete analysis of environmental data from 
EASTROPAC cruises will aid in answering important questions of zoo- 
geographical distribution and niches of species native to the Equatorial 
Countercurrent. 
