es a The papayas trees are now in fruit and although none are ripe, an occasional small green fruit (2" to 3" long) is cut up and added to the rice. 8®8s0N. The preadfruit trees are avcproaching the peak of their The tdea of collecting daily rations at Rongelar had to be apnroeched with caution. In the first conversations with the Rongelapese concerning the obtaining of such rations it became obvious thst through misunderstanding we would ultimotely receive merely 4 collection of miscellaneous food items rather than actual datiy rations of prerered food. The net result was that we obtained from each of fourteen sdults, one twenty-four hour ration of food stuffs grown or oaught at Nongelar. We are reasonably confident that these rations are &@ truc representétion. Farenthetically, rats chewed into the ahtrping containers and until the samples arrive at Seattle, we cannot he sure there will be more than nine rations available for analysis. The individual components were weighed and the total ration vooled dried in- Polyetheylene. te We hope that the idea of what is needed has been established with the Rongelapese and that thls rerresents the necessary beginning to more extonsiv2 collections of thie kind. The difficulties Dr. Dunning met in finding edequate information on diets for his 1957 summary are certainly easlly arpreciated when one has been with the natives and has talked to people who nave srent years working with the natives. Sincerely yours, fdward ©, Held Fesearch Assistant Professor ~EHtmac ces Dr. Gordon Dunning Dr. Robert A. Conard DO ARCHIVES