Scaevola taccada and Tournefortia argentea bushes were present. Solanum 
laysanense [== nelsoni] was present though not abundant. 
By'the time Grass Island was visited in 1963 , the interior had be¬ 
come a dense mat of Solanum nelsoni . Lepturus formed a thick cover on the 
west end of the vegetated area* Lepidium was found along the southern side 
of the island, and Solanum nigrum was common. Twenty to thirty clumps of 
Eragrostis were found, and Boerhavia and Tribulus were widespread. Scat¬ 
tered clumpy of Setaria verticellata were noted. There were no longer 
any plants of Scaevola or Achyranthes . In 1965 the Setaria was not found 
and the number of Eragrostis clumps had been reduced to lh. 
The change in vegetation from grasses to herbaceous is, thus, 
well-documented for Grass Island also. The vegetation change has brought 
about a change in the bird nesting colony composition as well. For ex¬ 
ample, in April I 923 the Great Frigatebird ( Fregata minor ) was not breed¬ 
ing on Grass Island (Wetmore, ms.); in recent years 300 to 350 Great 
Frigatebirds roost in the Solanum , and 75 to 100 nest there. 
Seal Island 
Eleven species of vascular plants have been recorded from Seal Is¬ 
land (Table ). The central portion of the western half of Seal Island, 
about 600 feet east to west and 150 feet wide, contains most of the vege¬ 
tation of the island (Figure ). The interior of this vegetated area 
is primarily Sicyos hispidus, Solanum nelsoni , and Eragrostis variabilis . 
Between the densely vegetated area and the beach is a transition.zone of 
Tribulus cistoides, Boerhavia diffusa , Lepturus repens , and Eragrostis . 
Growth of all but the Eragrostis extends out among the beach rubble. One 
clump of Achyranthes splendens grows at the eastern border of this vege¬ 
tated area. Small Sesuvium portulacastrum plants are scattered on the 
* ' ’ o 
rocky ledges of the eastern half. 
