Amerman, Kenneth 1964 In the course of finding the Christmas Islands, ran across a small group of Brown Boobies for the first time - 13 adults, 2 immatures and 3 1/2 grown chicks on nests. Previously I had seen only one adult, one subadult, one immature, all in the air in early morning. Dick had found eight roosting on rocks on the east side. Do not know 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.m., 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, Eragrostis and Ipomea. There are five major associations: Nama, with Boerhaavia, Portulaca and small Scaevola, along the outer beaches; Scaevola, with Ipomea, indica Boerhaavia and Tribulus, in a rim along the ridge; open Eragrostis, with Nicotiana tabacum, Fibrystillus cymosa, Tribulus and Boerhaavia, on the upper slopes below the Scaevola; Eragrostis - Ipomea, on the lower slopes, denser; and Ipomea - Cyperus - Heliotropum nearest the lagoon The 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 most part reduced to a few clumps and is nearly absent from the north end. The Eragrostis strip on the east is similarly much narrower.