Ataerraan, Kenneth 
w • — 
In the course of finding the Christmas Islands, ran acorss a 
small group of Brown Boobies for the first time - 13 adults, 2 immatures 
and 3 l/ 2 grown chicks on nests. Previously I had seen only one adult, 
one subadult , one immature, all in the air in early morning. Dick had 
... ound eight roosting on rocks on the east side. Do not knot/ if they 
were from the nesting group. 
Banded 200 more Sooties on the way back to camp. Everyone up, 
breaking camp by this time. Raft came in at 6:30 a.ra., we were on the 
ship by seven. Raft returned to pick up Fish and Wildlife personnel 
since the "Basswood? had had to answer a distress call from a fishing 
sampan grounded on Maro Reef. Underway 8:30 a.m. 
Laysan - Summary 
Lyasan is low coral and sand Island 1.6 by .8 miles, long axis 
north to south, with a large central lagoon of salt water. The major 
portion of the vegetation consists of Scaevola , Era grostls an d Ipomea . 
There are five major associations: Kama, with Boerhaavla , Portulaca and 
small ocne vola , along the outer beachs; Scaevola, with Ipomea , indlca 
Boerh aavla and Tr lb ulus, in a rim along the ridge; open Ersgrost is, 
with Hi cot la na tabacura, Fibryatillus cymosa, T ribul us and Boerhaavla , 
on the upper si opes below the Sgacvola ; Era gr o st is *• Ip ome n ^ on tlie 
lover slopes, denser; and Ipomea - Cyperus - Keliotropum nearest the lagoon 
T>ie band of vegetation is about twice as wide on the west side as 
on the east. The Scaevola on the east side is along the shore for the 
mast part reduced to a few clumps and is nearly absent from the north 
end. The Eragrostls strip on the east is similarly much narrower. 
