birds were observed nesting in the Horinda trees while the south 
half of the island with a predominant cover of Toumefortia was 
supporting a hi^ popiilation of sooty terns which were nesting 
in open areas as well as under the rather dense Toxmiefortia 
vegetation# Wo Scaevola tacoada was observed on the atoll* The 
niche usually occupied by this species appears to be occupied 
solely by Toumefcrtia » 
Windward Islets # A small Gordia grove appears on most of 
these small islets on the east side of the atoll# Brothers Islet 
has a few Cocos trees. Suriana which is not found on the islets 
and larger islands on the north side of the atoll is found to 
3 meters hi^ on the islet between South Island and Arundel Islet# 
This seems to form a very dense stand with Toumefortia* Toume— 
fortia is also an in^jortant component on the other windward islets# 
Leeward Islets # The vegetation of these islands is much more 
sparse than those of the windward side of the atoll# Pandanvts 
occurs on the three small islets south of Wake island# Further 
south lies an islet with a few Cocos trees and Pisonia# The other 
islets to the south have Cordia and To\Amefortia with Leptxmis # 
Fleugya and Heliotropium # The Fleixrya occupies small sand filled 
nitohes in the coral rubble often fully exposed to the elements 
while the Heliotropixmi is found in sand on the lagoon side of the 
islets# 
Scattered individuals of Pisonia Landis now ooctit on South 
iriii i: ma JmL\ m iroiwminmnn— 
Island and Long Island# An occasional tree appears elsewhere but 
never forming a dense stand. These may represent remenant stands 
of this common species which may play an important role in the lay¬ 
ing dovna of a phosphatic hardpan on atolls (Fosberg, 1951) • This 
phenomenon was observed on Vostok and Washington Islands and on 
Palmyra Atoll where a phosphatic hardpan invariably occurs xmder 
dense stands of Pisonia . This seems the probable source of the 
guano mining carried out on many of the central Pacific Islands 
and appears also to explain the initial floiirishing condition of 
