I would like to echo the many comments that have thanked Marshall Iliff for his recent clarification of his current thoughts on his Yellow-billed Loon sighting. In line with Ed Boyd's comment, I would agree that no apology is called for when one goes to the trouble of getting out the word about a potentially important sighting as rapidly as possible, only later to find that one has been mistaken. The alternative of waiting until certainty is attained may allow many good birds to get away before they are seen by others. So let us all be tolerant and more grateful to those who alert us quickly to potentially great sightings, even if some turn out to be false alarms. Harvey Mudd ____________________________________ S. Harvey Mudd NIMH/DIRP/LMB Building 36, Room 2D-15 36 CONVENT DR MSC 4070 BETHESDA MD 20892-4070 tel: 301-496-0681; fax 301-402-0245 email: shm@codon.nih.gov