-43- On the other hand many of the abnormalities reported by Fosberg, St. John and Biddulph have been reported from coral atolls where no radioactive fallout has occurred. example, Cordia, defoliation and death at the tips of Pisonia and Tournefortia For branches of (Messerschmidia) were re- ported on Wake Island in April 1952 after a period of drought by Fosberg (11) , Taylor (23) reported that Bikini Atoll in March and April 1946 the vegetation at (before Operation Cross- roads) was unhealthy-looking and that Pisonia plants only scanty foliage, improving later in the year. rainfall in the northern Marshall Islands show period prevails from December to April, Records of that the dry the months of January and February getting the least rainfal1 (5), observations of Fosberg and Taylor, bore As shown by the one would expect to find the plants at their worst during the dry period. Some abnormalities found in the plants on coral atolls have been caused by insects. Taylor reported that the leaves of Suriana were clipped as if by insect attack, and Fosberg reported that Bauhinia was chlorotic and badly eaten by insects Niering (19) reported that on Kapingamarangi Atoll the leaves of Scaevola were attacked by a leaf miner and new shoots and buds of Calophyllum sp. and Barringtonia asiatica were "infested to