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PACIFIC SCIENCE, VoL XIII, April, 1959 
another receptacle. When taken on shore, 
the worms are tied up in leaves in small bun- 
dles and baked. Large quantities are eaten 
uncooked, but, either cooked or uncooked, 
they are universally esteemed a great luxury. 
Such is the strong desire to eat palolo shown 
by all classes, that, immediately the fishing 
parties reach the shore, messengers are dis- 
patched in all directions, bearing large quan- 
tities to parts of the islands on which none 
are found.” 
Buck (1930: 440) found that the coconut 
fiber scoops and those made from the coco- 
nut leaflet midrib were no longer in use in 
Samoa in 1927, as thin gauze or scrim which 
could be easily obtained from the traders 
made better scoops. 
Figure 1, from photographs taken by Mr. 
Gatty in November, 1953, shows the Fijians 
collecting the palolo, using various kinds of 
homemade scoops, mostly of cloth. Since at 
this location the palolo start to rise about 
4 o’clock in the morning, Mr. Gatty took 
these pictures as soon as it was light. When 
the sun rises, the worms disappear rather 
rapidly. 
Kramer (1903: 405) observed that the rise 
of the palolo was an occasion for special 
feasts with singing, dancing, and general 
rejoicing among the Samoans. 
NATURE OF PALOLO 
Figure 2 shows broken specimens of the 
palolo. In the original fresh state, Wood- 
Fig. 1. Natives collecting palolo in Fiji. 
