C.R. Long 1964 Phoenix Island Petrel egg in the open under a Suriana bush. This type of habitat for nesting seems to be an exception. On Motu Tabu the Christmas Island shearwaters nest under vegetation without making burrows. Nests of the Hawaiian noddies were observed constructed of Messerschmidtia inflores- ces and Turbinaria while those of the common noddies were made from small Messerschmidtia and other types of twigs. Most of the plant species were in bloom during our visit: Lepturus, Boerhaavia, Sesuvium, Sida, Portulaca, Heliotropium, Pisonia, Tribulus, Cassytha and Suriana. The latter genus has five yellow petals (probably fading to white· after exposure to the sun). On the west end of the island the Lepturus- Tribulus - Boerhaavia association forms a conspicuous patch. On the east side of the island Messerschmidtia logs are burrowed heavily by the Christmas Is- land shearwaters. At the southwest end of the islet were two Scaevola bushes and several young plants. Solid Lepturus - Boerhaavia stands occur among the Messerschmidtia bushes. The small Pisonia are relatively leafless - soil sur- face beneath is bare of other vegetation. Wedgetailed shearwaters are found in the fine sandy area on the west end of the island. Sketch maps of Cook Is- land, Motu Tabu and Motu Upou were taken from: Series X782, Christmas Island, Edition 2-GSGS, Pub. by D. Survey, War Office and Air Ministry, 1957, Printed by Army Map.Service, Corps of Engineers, 4-59, 102674. Eggs and young of Hawaiian noddies were present in various stages of development in the leaf ests heavily matted with guano. The noddies and terms perch in the upper dead limbs of the Messerschmidtia - green sprouts appear below. Stems of Tribulus up to two ft. in length. Christmas Island shearwaters with burrows at the edge of the Lepturus stand. Red-tailed tropicbirds were nesting under the Messerschmidtia scrub. On the northeast side of the island one plant of Hedyotis (Kadua) was found with large white to dark bluish berries. This plant was observed growing in the bare soil only several feet from the high tide mark in an environment where one might expect Suriana. This was the only plant seen on Christmas Island. The following species or species associations were observed on Motu Tabu: 1. Heliotropium - Suriana - Messerschmidtia (few) 2. Heliotropium - Suriana - Lepturus - Cassytha 3. Suriana - Messerschmidtia 4. Tribulus - Heliotropium - Lepturus 5. Portulaca - Heliotropium - Lepturus 6. Suriana - Lepturus 7. Pisonia Two permanent markers were placed on Motu Tabu: 1. twenty paces from the mid-northeast shore, steel pole is 47 in. above the surface and painted green; 2. on the northwest point in the Lepturus - Heliotropium stand approx. fifty paces from the post sunk into the shore and south by southwest of these. June 19, 1964 - We were up at 6:30 am. return to the U.S.S. Takelma by 11 am. after decamping from Motu Upou. We repack and return to Cook Island. Much of the Scaevola is parasitized by the Cassytha. This may act as a deterrent to the spread of this species on Cook Island. The depressed coral rubble area in the northwest part of the island has no well defined associations but rather a somewhat random dispersal of species. More nesting sooty terms are present on the island since our last visit. Eggs are placed in both completely exposed and shaded positions but the latter seems more common. Sooty terms sometimes use twigs and leaves of Messerschmidtia in thier nest.