  The predicted emission spectrum of NII is compared with observations of
permitted lines in the Orion nebula. Conventional nebular models show that the
intensities of the more intense lines can be explained by fluorescence of
starlight absorption with a N abundance that is consistent with forbidden
lines. Lines excited mostly by recombination on the other hand predict high N
abundances. The effects of stellar and nebular parameters and of the atomic
data on the predicted intensities are examined.
