SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 
UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 
WASHINGTON 25. D. C. 
Kure Island 
15 Nov. 1963 
Dear Maryanna: 
Looks like an impressive outline for next year. If I 
have any choice I've already stated that I'd like to con¬ 
tinue with the projects I've set up here at Kure, and I 
hopefully await word as to whether I'll be coming back here 
in March. 
The albatross have descended upon us in hordes now. We 
have handled about 650, banding and recoveries, and there are 
probably that many still without a red paint spot on their 
heads. We found 3 blackfoot eggs yesterday; no Laysans yet, 
but the latter are really beginning to show up in numbers on 
the island. We are finding toe-dipped rats from the study 
area around the buildings; this means they're moving several 
hundred yards and is most unusual for rodent populations of 
this magnitude. 
I have not been able to find ticks anywhere except on 
the rats and I am not positive that they are ticks. We will 
attempt to get a large quantity off the rats and send them in 
hopes that we have the right thing. 
I see that you have 5 men scheduled for here for the 
month of December. The CG station at Kure can only take 3 
men now with the construction crew here. I would suggest 
that Ludwig and man B work on Midway, collecting accidentals, 
censusing populations, and doing a lot of banding; and that 
Clapp and King come to Kure with Amerman. Ken is not familiar 
with Midway and doesn't have a pass for Eastern, but he is 
familiar with the program here, while Jim has been on Midway 
for several weeks already. I believe that this will give us 
our most efficient utilization of manpower. I would like to 
talk with Roger before he comes out here; perhaps our paths 
will cross in Hono. I have set up outlines for the work we 
are doing here with instructions for people who are here when 
I'm not, in hopes that the continual data will be collected 
in the sme fashion by all persons out here. 
I will save ray next formal report till my return in two 
weeks. I will bring back all the band recoveries also, as 
well as the seal skin. I don't see any good way to get the 
seal blood back before then either, though I'll get out some 
messages tomorrow and see what I can do. 
Sincerely, 
