Oregon Inlet Research Articles

Food Habits of the Skipjack Tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, in North Carolina Waters

Food habits of the skipjack tuna,katsuwonus pelamis, were determined for specimens collected from the Hatteras and Oregon Inlet charter boat fishery. Stomach content analysis showed 55% empty stomachs. Fishes, mollusks, and crustaceans were consumed by the skipjack tuna. Fishes were the most frequent food item at both Hatteras and Oregon Inlet, followed by mollusks and crustaceans at Hatteras and by crustaceans and mollusks at Oregon Inlet. At Hatteras, fishes constituted 90% of the food by volume, with mollusks and crustaceans contributing 7 and 3%, respectively. At Oregon Inlet, mollusks and fishes were about equal in volume, with crustaceans contributing about 1%. As skipjack tuna increased in length the volume of crustaceans decreased and the volume of mollusks increased. There was a tendency for fishes to be less important and mollusks to be more important as length increased.

Seedling Response to Photoperiod and Temperature by Smooth Cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, from Oregon Inlet, North Carolina

Seedlings ofSpartina alterniflora Loisel. from North Carolina were exposed to thermoperiods of 18–14, 22–18, 26–22, and 30–26 C under both short- and long-day photoperiods for a 14-week period. Seedling biomass increased under both photoperiods as temperatures of the thermoperiods increased, but was greater in each thermoperiod under long-day conditions. Seedlings grown under short-day conditions were shorter, contained less biomass, produced more culms and rhizomes, had less shoot moisture, and contained higher chlorophyll concentrations than those under long-day conditions at the same temperatures. Flowering occurred earlier under short-day conditions in the 26–22 and 30–26 C thermoperiods, but also occurred under long-day conditions in these thermoperiods and appeared to be related to height growth.

Kogia Breviceps and Mesoplodon Mirus in the Neighborhood of the Oregon Inlet, North Carolina

Kogia Breviceps and Mesoplodon Mirus in the Neighborhood of the Oregon Inlet, North Carolina

Birds Observed on the Coast of Virginia and North Carolina

A BRIEF trip to the coast of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, from May 30 to June 2, 1936, afforded an opportunity to determine certain details of bird distribution in that ornithologically littleknown region. The party, consisting of A. H. Howell, W. B. Tyrrell, and the writer, camped one night on the ocean beach, about eight miles east of Pungo, Virginia, then drove down the beach to Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, and on the return trip visited Knott's Island, at the head of Currituck Sound. One object of the trip was to learn whether or not the Short-billed Marsh Wren (Cistothorus stellaris) was breeding in the marshes back of the ocean beach east of Pungo, where, on May 19, 1932, we had found a number of birds singing and apparently paired, as reported by Howell and Burleigh (Auk, vol. 51, p. 250, 1934). On the second trip, however, not a single bird of this species could be found. The southernmost record in the breeding season is that of Dr. Alexander Wetmore, who found a nest at Cornfield Harbor, Maryland (Auk, vol. 52, p. 455, 1935). We were interested, also, in learning whether or not the Sharp-tailed Sparrow (Ammospiza caudacuta diversa) described by Bishop (Auk, vol. 18, p. 269, 1901) was breeding in North Carolina near its type locality. Our search revealed only a colony of Seaside Sparrows (Ammospiza maritima macgillivraii) in a marsh at Oregon Inlet. It seems probable, therefore, that the Southern Sharptailed Sparrow does not breed south of Virginia. Following is a list of birds collected or seen near Pungo, Virginia, May 30 and 31, and June 2, 1936: