3 
146 bird specimens, 24 mammals. Additional collections from the Tokelau 
Islands were mentioned previously. 
As in SIC report number 6, it doesn T t seem worthwhile to make a full 
report on each of the regularly visited islands since these data are available 
in field notes and progress reports. Little change in species composition 
was noted on the regularly visited islands. 
Tokelau Islands 
The Tokelau Islands lie between 8° to 10° South latitude and 170° to 173° 
West longitude. The group is composed of three atolls each with many small 
islets. Swain’s Island to the south of the group is included by some geographers 
within this group, but is not so considered here. The three atolls are in¬ 
habited by about 1,700 people, Fakaofo Atoll being the most densely populated. 
The islands are in the belt of high rainfall, most of which falls between 
December and March. Atafu, the most northerly island in the group, averages 
114.7 inches of rain a year. Occasional hurricanes pass through the area, the 
r 
worst having devastated the islands on January 7, 1914. Most of the weather 
observations have been made on Atafu and it can be considered to be representa¬ 
tive of the whole group. The wettest twelve-month period was from November 
1929 to October 1930 when Atafu received 177*91 inches of rain. The driest 
twelve-month period was from May 1933 through the following April when only 
58.53 inches of rain fell. The mean temperature is 82.5° F., with little 
variation. During our stay on the islands, we had very little rainfall, mostly 
in the form of light showers. 
Vegetation 
The atolls are low and except for small patches of remnant forest are 
planted to coconuts. The native vegetation was typical of wet equatorial atolls 
and will be discussed in a later report by Robert Long. 
