some just sit in the grass* 
Midway Island, Sept* 9i 19^3 
Spent most of the morni.ng doing odds and ends and making skeletons of a Fairy- 
Tern and Tropic bird caught late last night after chasing the shearwaters . Tropicbirds 
again absent until 0930 when they be "in to appear over the island: Peak of their activity 
at 1300 today. Many adults on the ground sitting with chicks by I 5 OO. However, most must 
retuni to sea as last evening I found onlj one adult with a very small chick at 2400 
while locating 23 chicks beneath the brush: Most chicks are at the feathering-out stage of 
their development. No eggs or nhw chicks of any species yet found here. 
Got five letters in the mail and sat down to glut ray senses on news from home. 
Here Bndeth Chapter One of the Epistle of Ludwig: 
Vtould you type up a couple of copies of this for when I get back to v;ashington . 
I v/ill transfer what further notes I take into the regular note-books when they arrive. 
Hope all is well with you in Washington. If you’ve any special instructions on 
collecting of skins and skeletons, sing out NOW for I am going to continue to collect until 
the equipment and bands arrive: And after the ammunition gets here, I plan to get a series 
on the shorebirds, and hopefulljf some of the banded noddies which I have seen from time to 
time. As most everything has quit nesting that is bandable, collecting and observation 
must be the forte of this expedition, and any special instructions should be directed ray 
way now: Otherv/ise I will continue to collected what is available and in the best ( most 
useful ) series possible. 
Well Itids, Keep Marching back there for we shall win some day. Aloha, 
James P. Ludwig 
Midway Island 
