C. R. Long 
3^55 " 
s 
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Christmas Island - June '14, 1964 
Cook Island - Around the periphery of the island is a" often broken 
and discontinuous stand of Messerschmidtia and Scaevola .On the southwest 
part of the island the Messerschmidtia - Scaevola association is found 
on the interior of the island as well as along the rim. The Scaevola 
is most often.found in rocky areas along t^e beach. Both Lenturus and 
Di^citaria are found on the sandy beaches and are particularly common on 
the west beach. The Lepturus forms many stolons although the clumps are 
never as large as those observed on some of the other islands. Much of 
the vegetation on Cook Island and especially the Scaevola and Heliotropium 
are covered with Cass.ytha . In some of the drier areas on the inner part of 
the island this parasite seems to have a definate effect on the extent and 
condition of the Heliotropium dominant vegetation. The Cass.ytha is found 
also on Messerschmidtia shrubs which are wholly or partially killed by 
the mass of this parasitic vine. The Heliotropium on the inner part of the 
island is more often found with upright stems than that which grows along 
the shore. Portulaoa was found often in shaded positions under shrubs and 
these plants were in flower. In contrast to the healthy appearance of these 
were those plants growing on the arid inner portions with the Heliotropium . 
Tribulus is found in the southern portion of the island forming thick mats 
in some areas. I assisted in the banding of sooty terns during the evening. 
June 15» 1964 — He returned.to the U.S.S. Takelma at about 10:45 am* He 
finished pressing the Cook Island collections and changed the cardboards 
of the other presses. The drying has not been satisfactory for many of the 
collections made on Palmyra and Hashing-ton Islands. The engin^room is hot 
while the ship is underway but even then the humidity is too high for good 
success in plant drying. The frequent stops made by the ship added to the 
uneven quality of the drying. He leave the ship for Motu Upou at about 
2:30 pm. In early evening I assist in banding, the Christmas Island Shear¬ 
waters found on this Motu. The sooty shearwaters are found on open gravel 
areas on Motu Tabu. Stands of Lepturus — Sida and Lepturus - Scaevola 
associations are found on Motu Tabu. Red-footed boobies are found nesting 
in the Messerschmidtia . The Christmas Island shearwaters are found under « 
dense tangles of Cass.ytha over Heliotropium $Ln the more open areas of the 
island. These birds and the sooty shearwaters are also found under the 
cover of the heavy Scaevola — Messerschmidtia scrub into the inner tangle of 
which they flee when one attempts to grab them for banding. The Phoenix 
Island shearwater is found in depressions under the Cass.ytha - covered 
Heliotropium . The natural activitis of these 'Thirds is responsible for 
hollowed" out depressions beneath the plant cover. The wedgetailed shearwater 
is found in areas where the soil is friable aAd usually where the soil is 
somewhat deep. Grass covered areas with heavy fibrous root penetration 
and the concomitantly better soils are favored by this burrow building 
species. The heavy organic material which is a part of grass covered soil 
types makes burrowing possible. The nesting Hawaiian noddies on Cook Island 
built nests of Messerschmidtia inflorescences and Turbinaria sp. - the east 
shore of Cook Island being littered with this common alga. Around the Messer- 
schmidtia on Motu Upou is a hard crust of guano from the nesting birds. This 
layer is often one-half to three-quarters of an inch thick. The Suriana 
shrub is found growing to over four feet on the outer portions of the island. 
The Portulaoa found on the north side of this island is appressed to the 
soil surface (wind is from the north) while on the south shore the plants 
of this species are.upright and have thick succulent stems. The plants of 
both areas are in bloom. A Sesuvium - Lepturus stand is found on the outer 
edges of coral sand around the periphery of the island but this is far from 
