What unusual or especially interesting predator-prey relationships did you observe? Did the behavior of predators in relation to prey differ by day and by night? Was luminescence evident throughout most of your trip; if only sporadically, under what conditions? Were you ever aware of such oceanographic phenomena as unwelling, the convergence of different currents, or tide rips; if so were there any special manifestations of life at such places?

What I have in mind is one or two paragraphs of comment along these lines, but which will reflect the very unusual opportunity you had to make such observations. I hope what I am asking will not put you to an undue amount of trouble; I shall be tremendously grateful for the opportunity to quote you on these matters.

My book is due in the hands of the publishers the first of March. In order to assure the early arrival of your reply, I am enclosing an addressed envelope with international postal notes to cover air-mail postage.

What of your own book. Can you tell me when it will be published?

Very sincerely yours,

Bygdö Alle 25, Oslo, Norway.
(p.t. Stockholm,) February, 2, 1950.

Miss Rachel L. Carson,
204 Williamsburg Drive,
Silver Spring, Md.,
U. S. A.

Dear Miss Carson:

Thank you for your letter of January 9th which just picked up with me on my travels.

Owing to the fact that I have myself a book which is about to appear in thirteen languages, and the manuscript for another one to meet a deadline corresponding roughly to yours, I am unfortunately unable to go in much detail, but I shall try to answer the major of your questions:

My (popular) book on the experiences on the Kon-Tiki expedition is already out in six languages, but the British edition is scheduled at Allen & Unwin in London on April 31, and the American edition at Rand McNally in Chicago early in the fall. Here I describe most of the observations made during the voyage. My other (ethnographic) book on Polynesian origins is scheduled to follow close after the one first mentioned.

Firstly, in answer to your question whether I find it possible that the so-called scattering layer may be squids, I must answer in the negative. Although the raft was actually 'bombarded' by small squids of the size of a finger, and occasionally by specimens up to a foot in length, these were never as frequent as the flying-fishes that came onboard. Chiefly at night, but occasionally in broad daylight, a shoal of small squids shot out of the water precisely like flying-fish, gliding through the air as much as up to six feet above the surface, until they lost the speed accumulated below water, and fell down helplessly. In their gliding flight with flaps out they were so much like small flying-fish at a distance, that we had no idea that we saw anything unusual until a live squid flew right into one of the crew and fell down on deck. Almost every night we found one or two on the deck or on the roof of the bamboo hut, but they were never observed in impressive numbers, the flying-fish was definitely more common. Large squids were only observed on or near the surface at a few occations, particularly at night.

On the other hand, it was my own definite impression that the marine life in general went deeper down in the daytime than during the nights, and that the darker the night was, the more life we had around us. At two different occations, a snake-mackerel, GEMPYLUS, never before seen by man except as skeletal remains washed a shore South America and the Galapagos, came jumping clear out of the water and right up on the raft (once right into the hut). To judge from the huge eyes and the fact that the fish has never before been observed, I am inclined to suspect that it is a deep-sea fish that comes to the surface only at night. The GEMPYLUS was highly carnivorous and prey, amongst others, on flying-fish. On dark nights we could

February 16th, 1950

Dear Mr. Heyerdahl:

Knowing as I do what it means to meet a
deadline, I am profoundly grateful to you for
taking time to answer my questions so fully. The
material you have given me is fascinating, and I
am very happy to have the opportunity to quote
you on this subject in the appropriate chapter of
my book.

I am pleased to hear that the English lan-
guage editions of your book dealing with your ex-
periences on the Kon Tiki will soon be available.
I hope the ethnographic book will also have an
American edition and I shall look forward to read-
ing them both.

Mr. Thor Heyerdahl
Bygde Alle 25
Oslo, Norway