Investigation of Body Temperatures and Diurnal-Nocturnal Temperature Cycles 
in the Avifauna of Kure Atoll. 
Homiothermism is one of the principal adaptations of birds, permitting 
this group to exploit many areas denied to pokilothermic animals. However, 
ability to become temporarily torpid, or hyperthermic are important variations 
by Species 
in this adaptationAof the larger group. 
One of the simplest and most useful kinds of information in this reguard 
is knot-dng what the normal ( when the bird is unstressed and healthy ) temperature 
temperature is, and what the usual limits of daily variation there are in 
body temperature. 
Data for this information can bajgathered easily when the birds are available, 
and at Kure Atoll we have already begun this investigation. Rectal temperatures 
correlated with behavior and activity of the bird are taken and ambient tem- 
perature is also recorded. Careful note is made of efforts to avoid or compensate 
for thermal stress ( as by gular fluttering and panting ) and with this informa¬ 
tion it is possible to tell the limits of normal variation, how the bird solves 
the problem of thermal stress, and what the upper and lower limits of tolerence 
ambler T' 
forAtemperature there are. 
Data taken since arriving at Kure indicates well defined temperature cycles 
in Masked and Brown Boobys, and we now have enough data to tell the normal 
nocturnal temperatures in Wedgetailed Shearwaters and Bonin Island petrels. 
We expect to continue this program and obtain data on all of the species here,aiJ^ 
~t>hyS ..ay help us in the definition of the niches which each species»occupying. 
