natural, history

and oil immersion, had failed to reveal any parasites. All illustrations were preparedwith the aid of a Zeiss-Winkel drawing apparatus, and all averages and percentagesare based up.n the measurement of 50 successive examples of the organism concerned.Gill smears on 7/8" (22 mm) square cover slips were made from the fish, in additionto blood films. They were fixed in DAVIS' (1947) modification of Worcester'sfluid, stored in iodized alcohol,· and subsequently stained with Heidenhain's ironhaematoxylin. Intestinal or other parasites were not searched for as so little time wasavailable.All the Bellona films proved negative for haematozoa, and neither blood- norgill parasites were detected in the preparations from fishes. By way of contrast theRennellese birds yielded blood protozoans of several species, and one harbouredmicrofilariae.Table 2. List of vertebrates collected.•locality and dateAhanga-Longona,15-16 Aug. 1953Matahenua-Longona,15-16 Aug. 1953Longona. 16 Aug. 1953Longona-Matahenua,16 Aug. 1953Systematic position, andnumber collectedBELLONAREPTILESEmoia nigra (Hombron & Guichenot)(Scincidae) (8)Varanl/s indieus indicl/s (Daudin)(Varanidae) C)Gee",) l'i((IIIIIS Houttuyn (Geckonidae) (I)Enygrl/s ')/hroni al/slralis (Montrouzien(Boidae) (2)Local name (italicizedwhen different from the\ ersion published byWOLFF, 1955, and followedin parentheses bythe name he gives) .te kanginoIe hokaite I-..amoko (te moko)te ngataAhanga. IS Aug. 1953•••BIRD• Tringa h,ypoleueos L. (Scolopacidae) (I)RENNElLFISHESTe Uhungango, 20 Aug. 53 • Epinephl'ills melanosligma (Schultz)(Serranidae) (I)- • Abudefduf sordidus (ForsUI)(Pomacentridae) (3)Ie siriu (mungikakongi:"te si\ iu" is perhapsa group name forsmall shore birds. forbesides its present applicationto the CommonSandpiper,WOlFF lists it for boththe Pacific GoldenPlover and the LargeSand Dotterel)