SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 
UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 
WASHINGTON. D. C. 20560 
\ 
15 July 1964 
Mrs. Maryanna Smellow 
Dlv. of Birds 
United States National Museum 
Washington, D. C. 20560 
Dear Maryanna: 
Greetings from the Pribylof Islands. Home of the 
northern Fur Seal and his noble remains as they lie 
rotting and stinking in the sun. 
Things are going as expected ie. no Ruddy Turn¬ 
stones banded. They are just beginning to arrive now. 
We are transferring to St.George Island In the next 
day or twojtmf the Coast Guard ship comes in. 
Themanagement here has Informed me as of this 
morning that theywishto billthe Smithsonian for our 
stay here and do not want us to pay for it here as this 
causes some foul up in their appropriations. I told 
them I would try toaarrange it with you. You would be 
billed through the Seattle office. Please advise. 
I am including the first bi—weekly report for you. 
Imjnust say there isan awful lot of record keeping in 
this operation. 
I understand that you will be sending more netpoles 
up in the near future. We hopethat they will be here in 
time for the shipto bring them over on August 6. The 
net poles sent from Don Bleitz Co. are to frailfor the 
high winds up here and you shouldn*t get anymore of them. 
The record sheets arrived safely. As a matter of 
fact, if you can send material air mail it arrives much 
faster than air freight. Would suggest net poles be sent 
that way ifpossible. 
Iguess it It cheerio for now. Excuse the typewriters 
narrow space bar. Regards to all. 
Sincerely your 
rs 
Max C. Thompson 
Pacific Project 
