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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 
UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 
WASHINGTON. D. C. 20560 
25 July 1966 
Dear Jane: 
Just a one-page letter to let you know that we are still alive. 
We are nearly ready to make the first rocket-net set. There were 200 
birds on East this morning and as soon as the flock becomes more co¬ 
hesive we will put out the net. I expect to fire by the 27th at the 
latest. We have already banded 2 which I caught in a mist net. You 
wouldn't believe what we caught in a mist net we left out all night. 
I believe it is the most wierd thing that has happened here yet. Bob 
ran the nets at 0530 and there was a Fork-tailed Petrel in the net. 
Apparently had come in shore during the night. 
Our work on the turnstones has been somewhat delayed by the weather. 
It is hard to believe but we have had 5 straight days of sunshine andno 
wind. This is hardly conducive to migration. However, we did see a 
total of 395 turnstones this morning. They are running about 3% banded 
as near as we can tell. I saw one yesterday at the dock with a band on 
each leg. That means one of three things: 1) I was drunk last year 
when I banded, 2) The bird was rebanded last year with a new band due to 
wear, 3) The Japanese banded one of our birds with a new band. I rfln 
off two copies of my last year's turnstone report and got two pages 
transposed. Bob was reading it and brought it to my attention. It read 
like this, " Mr. Vincent Hoeman in 196U and Mr. Robert DeLong in 1965? 
both biologists with the POBSP were left on two of the killing fields 
to rot." We had a good laught out of that one. 
As soon as the Pribilof arrives on August 10, we will send out a 
shipment of bird skins to you air freight collect. This should be the 
last boat before the Pribilof comes in August. We seem to be fairly well 
set up now. We have some supplies coming in from Sears. It is easier to 
order from there by catalog number that worry about having you or D3mg 
try and interpret our wants. We might get another cannon-net ha. 
I guess we haven't really seen any good birds here yet this summer. 
I did see an Arctic Loon which isn't common. The Fork-tailedPetrel is 
the first specimen from St. George although there are numerous sight 
records from the islands. Oh yes, Bob saw our first Slender-billed 
Shearwater off-shore yesterday while out in the boat. He caught a U' 
60 # halibut. 
We still haven't heard from the Kelez yet. I hear Bob French on the 
radio about every night and will give him a call some night and see if we 
can find out anything about the September cruise. I did hear him say that 
they had taken on another crew member which doesn't sound ggod. 
Well mom I am running out of paper. Just wanted to let you know 
that Bob and I are still kicking. Regards to Herb. 
