5 
Wetmore—Journal 
turtles hauled out and collected one for the table. I kept the shell, which was an 
unusually perfect one as a souvenir of Laysan. 
May 9 —Gray-backs and love-birds are laying again after having been drowned out during 
a storm two weeks ago. 
Many tiny shells are found in the wash of the waves at high tide and I picked up 
some beautiful ones. Also found many Ophiurans here. 
May 11 —No longer any rabbits seen in the three locations (for the past five days). 
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Reno has used poisoned sweet potato in deep holes in rock that night harbor rabbits and 
has put out chunks of poisoned alfalfa in areas whene rabbits were last seen. We have 
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been hunting steadily for them during the day and toward sunset in the evening. Only 
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six or seyen have been killed since my return from the west and only one seen has 
) 
escaped. We presume that this animal has been killed by poison since persistent 
hunting has failed to locate it. Growth of vegetation has been remarkable considering 
the absolutely barren condition of the island when we first landed. Seeds whose pre- 
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sence in the sand was wholly unexpected have sprouted and bits of green are 
appearing in many places. The Scaevola along the northwestern shore, almost buried 
in sand, has put out new shoots and has grown many new leaves so that when protected from 
the wind it looks quite thrifty. 
The Sesuvium has grown to a great extent and a new plant, a pigweed like affair with pale 
green leaves that grows from a somewhate woody stems is coming in among the other 
plants. Apparently this was a favorite plant with the rabbits as before it was 
entirely absent. On the inner slope of the island basin toward the lagoon are 
many plants of a creeper with a heavy two-spined seed. These are barely above the 
surface now but promise more extensive growth. A shrub along the shore south of 
camp is also putting out new leaves though' the stems appear badly chewed by rabbits. 
Unless sand storms interfere vegetation should again appear to h considerable extent with! 
the next few months. Recent rains have favored germination. 
