C. R. Long 1964 Christmas Island - June 14, 1964 Cook Island - Around the periphery of the island is a' often broken and discontinuous stand of Messerschmidtia and Scaevola. On the southwest part of the island the Messerschmidtia - Scaevola association is found on the interior of the island as well as along the rim. The Scaevola is most often found in rocky areas along the beach. Both Lepturus and Digitaria are found on the sandy beaches and are particularly common on the west beach. The Lepturus forms many stolons although the clumps are never as large as those observed on some of the other islands. Much of the vegetation on Cook Island and especially the Scaevola and Heliotropium are covered with Cassytha. In some of the drier areas on the inner part of the island this parasite seems to have a definite effect on the extent and condition of the Heliotropium dominant vegetation. The Cassytha is found also on Messerschmidtia shrubs which are wholly or partially killed by the mass of this parasitic vine. The Heliotropium on the inner part of the island is more often found with upright stems than that which grows along the shore. Portulaca was found often in shaded positions under shrubs and these plants were in flower. In contrast to the healthy appearance of these were those plants growing on the arid inner portions with the Heliotropium. Tribulus is found in the southern portion of the island forming thick mats in some areas. I assisted in the banding of sooty terns during the evening. June 15, 1964 - We returned to the U.S.S. Takelma at about 10:45 am. We finished pressing the Cook Island collections and changed the cardboards of the other presses. The drying has not been satisfactory for many of the collections made on Palmyra and Washington Islands. The engine room is hot while the ship is underway but even then the humidity is too high for good success in plant drying. The frequent stops made by the ship added to the uneven quality of the drying. We leave the ship for Motu Upou at about 2:30 pm. In early evening I assist in banding the Christmas Island Shear- waters found on this Motu. The sooty shearwaters are found on open gravel areas on Motu Tabu. Stands of Lepturus - Sida and Lepturus - Scaevola associations are found on Motu Tabu. Red-footed boobies are found nesting in the Messerschmidtia. The Christmas Island shearwaters are found under dense tangles of Cassytha over Heliotropium in the more open areas of the island. These birds and the sooty shearwaters are also found under the cover of the heavy Scaevola - Messerschmidtia scrub into the inner tangle of which they flee when one attempts to grab them for banding. The Phoenix Island shearwater is found in depressions under the Cassytha - covered Heliotropium. The natural activities of these birds is responsible for hollowed out depressions beneath the plant cover. The wedgetailed shearwater is found in areas where the soil is friable and usually where the soil is somewhat deep. Grass covered areas with heavy fibrous root penetration and the concomitantly better soils are favored by this burrow building species. The heavy organic material which is a part of grass covered soil types makes burrowing possible. The nesting Hawaiian noddies on Cook Island built nests of Messerschmidtia inflorescences and Turbinaria sp. - the east shore of Cook Island being littered with this common alga. Around the Messer- schmidtia on Motu Upou is a hard crust of guano from the nesting birds. This layer is often one-half to three-quarters of an inch thick. The Suriana shrub is found growing to over four feet on the outer portions of the island. The Portulaca found on the north side of this island is appressed to the soil surface (wind is from the north) while on the south shore the plants of this species are upright and have thick succulent stems. The plants of both areas are in bloom. A Sesuvium - Lepturus stand is found on the outer edges of coral sand around the periphery of the island but this is far from