AIRMAIL 
July Ik, 1954 
David Bratlay and Dick Merrill 
aaithsonian Party 
US Coast Guard LORAH Station 
APO 105 
San JjTanc iseo, C ali fornia 96505 
Dear Dick and Dave; 
Got your excellent Progress Report yesterday, I am glad you are 
still getting good data despite the harassment. 
I would like to inaugurate a modified activity study on the boobies 
and frigates using Sand as a roosting place. I’ll discuss this with 
P hi l Lehner and give him the details. 
The Wedgetall setup sounds good. Try to get some good incubation 
shift data (both length of shift and time of day it occurs). Do you 
have a copy of Lockley’s "Shearwater"? Have you gotten any food samples 
from this species yet? If not, we need some badly. 
I received a copy of the letter Dr. Ely wrote you about the Coast 
Guard problem. I hope you did meet with the 00. Shis might help. I 
suggested to Dr. Ely that the contracting agent obtain a storage room 
for us on Johnston. This would relieve us of a space problem on Stead. 
Dick, your brother dropped by the office today. He was asking 
about a ,$ob but, unfortunately, right now we are full iq? at the assistant 
level. Bill Wlrfcz went with him down to the Division of Mammals and 
introduced him to Dr. Johnson. They didn’t have anything either, 
however. 
Sincerely yours. 
A. B. Amerson, Jr. 
Research Curator 
Division of Birds 
