428 
awash at high tide. The reefs all around this 
islet harbor toxic fish, and the area is extensive 
enough to include the entrance channels into 
south Tabiteuea ( see Fig. 8 ) . 
A vessel of some sort is said to have been 
wrecked on Takorongo about 1919, and the 
poisoning dates from that time. Although many 
fish remained very toxic for many years, occa- 
sional fishermen continued to visit the area be- 
cause there were so very many fish there that 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XVIII, October 1964 
the temptation was great enough to risk poison- 
ing. Men who had dived there said that the ribs 
and keel of a vessel are to be seen near Tako- 
rongo, and that other remains are scattered over 
the area. 
In 1958 many species still remained toxic off 
Tabiteuea, although the Tabiteueans considered 
that there were fewer than there had been. By 
1962 still fewer species were considered toxic, 
but it was not possible to obtain details of which 
30’ 
NONOUTI 
50 ' 
1 , 0 ' 
1.5 
1 7i4°2o 
2,5' 
FIG. 7. Map of Nonouti. 
