SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 
WASHINGTON 25, D. C. 
30 Oct. 1963 
Kure Island 
Dear Maryanna: 
Enclosed please find outlines for the projects we now have 
going here at Kure. We now have 11 black-footed albatrosses on 
the island so the albatross study is going now also. I would 
welcome suggestions from Messers Humphrey, Banko and Ely. Please 
note that I should like to use the rat ecology for my doctoral 
dissertation if this meets with the approval of Dr. Humphrey and 
Dr. Layne. I have written to Dr. Layne about the problem, 
sketching for him what I would like to do, but have not yet re¬ 
ceived an answer from him. Please also note the last item on 
the rat ecology project, and see if you can’t make the necessary 
arrangements for me to bring back six live rats when I return in 
December. I will also have to bring back about 100 frozen rats 
and a couple dozen frozen birds so please send me permit info on 
this also. I do not have any copies of the permits out here. 
The shipment of equipment (balance box, McBee cards, etc.) has 
arrived in good shape, I believe the bird boxes are at Midway 
also. 
There are enclosed two outlines for work that Jim would like 
to do out here. I have had time to look over only the physiology 
one. He is interested in that for his own project, though this 
work certainly has great merit for the project also. He has 
written to Dr. Storer at Michigan asking ax about the formation 
of a doctoral committee and sketching some of the problems he 
might like to work on out here. I do not know the status of his 
graduate program, nor what Dr. Humphrey told him with regards to 
personal projects. Jim is working quite hard for me; he seems 
particularly to enjoy collecting and preparing specimens, but I 
do find I have to keep fairly close track of what he is doing as 
he sometimes gets careless with the work. But then who am I to 
talk. 
We expect Ken on the plane today. We can sure use the extra 
help. We are not permitted to drive the trucks here until we 
get government truck drivers Ixhxr licenses. Therefore, would you 
please make arrangements for me to take the appropriate tests 
when I return to D. C. so that I may get a license. I have driven 
4 -wheel drive trucks before, there's no question of ability here, 
just government insurance regulations. Our new liason officer at 
Midway is Lcdr. Herbert W. Kebschull. He came over on the last 
plane and seemed very nice, and very willing to help. Johnny 
evidently gave us a good rating in spite of all our trouble with 
DTC. 
