Atoll Research Bulletin
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~*~;.~:~+;;.:&~;$:~g~:~~;;;:r: .,. , . 2.' . ., ... ,. ' I ... ., . , , .. , . p*. ATOLL RESEARCH BULLETIN In.THE NATURAL HISTORY OF LAYSAN ISMD, NO-TERN HAWAIIAPY IS- , * By ChPrles A. Ety and B. %P , . , -,. NIAN INmON :* 1 $: a ATOLL RESEARCH BULLETIN NO. 171 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF LAYSAN ISLAND, NORTIIWESTERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS By Charles A. Ely and Roger B. Clapp Issued by THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION with the assistance of The Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife U.S. Departmeut of the Interior Washington, D.C., U.S.A. December 31, 1973 ACKNOWLEDGMENT The Atoll Research Bulletin is issued by the Smithsonian Institution as a part of its Tropical Biology Program. It is co- sponsored by the Museum of Natural History, the Office of Environ- mental Sciences, and the Smithsonian Press. The Press supports and handles production and distribution. The editing is done by the Tropical Biology staff, Botany Department, Museum of Natural History. The Bulletin was founded and the first 117 numbers issued by the Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, with financial support from the Office of Naval Research. Its pages were largely devoted to reports resulting from the Pacific Science Board's Coral Atoll Program. The sole responsibility for all statements made by authors of papers in the Atoll Research Bulletin rests with them, and statements made in the Bulletin do not necessarily represent the views of the Smithsonian nor those of the editors of the Bulletin. Editors F. R. Fosberg M.-H. Sachet Smithsonian Institution Washington, D. C. 20560 D. R. Stoddart Department of Geography University of Cambridge Downing Place Cambridge, England TABLE OF CONTENTS .Page ... LIST OF FIGURFS .............................................111 LIST OF WBLES ...............................................vi LIST OF APPENDIX TABLES ......................................ix INTRODUCTION ..................................................1 DESCRIPTION ...................................................3 HISTORY ......................................................19 HISTORY SECTION FOOTNOTES ....................................59 VEGETATION ...................................................64 LAYSAN ISLAND FAUNA ..........................................87 Introduction ............................................ -87 Birds .................................................... 88 Mammals .................................................. 92 Reptiles ................................................. 93 Species Accounts ......................................... 93 Birds ............................................... 93 Diomedea nigripes .............................. 95 Diomedea immutabilis .......................... 101 Pterodroma hypoleuca .......................... 109 Bulweria bulwerii ............................. 115 Puffinus griseus .............................. 120 Puffinus pacificus ............................ 120 Puffinus nativitatus .......................... 127 Oceanodroma tristrami ......................... U 2 Phaethon rubricauda ...........................135 -Sula dactylatra ...............................141 -Sula leucogaster .............................. 149 --Sula sula ..................................... 154 Phalacrocorax pelagieus .......................161 Fregata -minor ................................. 161 Philacte canagica .............................169 Anas- platyrhynchos ............................169 Anas- laysanensis ..............................170 Anas-- acuta ...................................-178 Anas crecca ...................................179 A* A* guerquedula ..............................180 Mareca americana .............................-180 Spatula clypeata ..............................181 Bucephala albeola .............................182 Histrionicus histrionicus .....................182 Porzanula palmeri .............................182 Charadrius semipalmatus .......................187 Pluvialis dominica ............................187 Squatarola squatarola .........................192 Arenaria interpres 192 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~~ ............................ Numenius phaeopus .............................197 Numenius tahitiensis ..........................197 Heteroscelus incan um ..........................202 Totanus melanoleucus ..........................206 Totanus flavipes ............................. Erolia acminata............................. Erolia melanotos ............................. Erolia bairdii ............................... Erolia alpina ................................ Sandpiper SPP ............................... Limnodromus sp.............................. Limosa -fedoa ................................. Limosa lapponica ............................. Crocethia -alba ............................... Phalaropus fulicarius ........................ Lobipes lobatus .............................. Larus glaucescens ............................ -Larus hyperboreus ............................ Larus argentatus ............................. -Larus Philadelphia ........................... -Rissa tridactylus ............................ Sterna fuscata ............................... Sterna lunata ................................ Proeelsterna cerulea ......................... Anous- tol lid us.. ............................. Anous- tenuirostris ........................... G~gisalba ................................... Fratercula corniculata ....................... Acrocephalus .-f. familiaris ................... Himatione sanguinea fraithii ................. Psittirostra .c . cantans ...................... Mammals ........................................... O~ytylaguscuniculus ......................... -Cavia p~rcellus .............................. Tursio~struneatus ........................... Monachus schauinslandi ....................... Equus caballus ............................... Equus asinus ................................. Equus asinus X caballus ................ -Sus scrofa ................................... -Bas taurus ................................... Reptiles .......................................... Chelonia mydas ............................... Hemidactylus garnotii ........................ Ablepharus boutonii .......................... ACKNOWDGMENTS ............................................ LITERATURE CITED ........................................... APPENDIX TABLE$ ............................................ LIST OF FIGURES 1. The Hawaiian Islands. 2. Aerial photograph of Laysan Island, 5 August 1939. Official U.S. Navy photograph. 4 3. Aerial photograph of Laysan Island, 28 May 1943. Official U.S . Navy pt,hotagraph. 5 4. Aerial photograph of Laysan Island, January 1966. Official U.S. Navy photograph. 6 5. Map of Laysan Island in 1915 showing location of guano depos- its. Redrawn from Elschner (1915). 10 6. Looking northwest along remnants of former tram line in sandy blowout on southwestern portion of Island, 14 June 1966. POBSP photograph by P.C. Shelton. 7. Coral shelf at southwest end of Laysan, June 1967. POBSP photograph by D.L. Burkhalter. 8. Looking toward north and northeast beach from point just northeast of lagoon, March 1967. North coconut grove is at mid-right. POBSP photograph by C.D. Hackman. 9. Looking southeast from concrete pillar near Casuarina tree on northwest perimeter of island. Dominant vegetation is Eragrostis variabilis with scattered patches of Boerhavia diffusa andmiateforeground) Fimbrist lis -. POBSP photograph by P.C. Shelton, 21June----%?- 19 10. Looking southeast toward northern portion of lagoon, 21 June 1966. North Cocas grove in mid-foIeground. POBSP photograph by P.C. Shelton. 11. Guano loading area on Laysan about May 1902. Photograph by F.M. Chamberlain during cruise of U.S. Fisheries Commission Steamer Albatross. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo- graph, National Archives Record Group 22, Series 11. 12. Base of guano operations on Laysan in 1902. Photograph by F.M. Chamberlain during cruise of U.S. Fisheries Commission Steamer Albatross. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo- graph, National Archives Record Group 22, Series 11. 13. Looking toward northern end of lagoon, about May 1902, evidently from tower on northwestern rim of island shown in preceding figure. Photograph by F.M. Chamberlain during cruise of U.S. Fisheries Commission Steamer Albatross. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photograph, National Archives Record Group 22, Series 11. 14. Guano digging on Laysan, probably during early 1890's. Photograph by unknown photographer, courtesy Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu. 15. Guano digging on Laysan, probably during early 1890's. Photograph by unknown photographer, courtesy Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu. 16. Guano shed and loading area on Laysan, probably during early 1890's. Photograph by unknown photographer, eourtesy Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu. 17. Guano operation headquarters. Undated photograph by unknown photographer, courtesy Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu. 18. General view of inner basin of Laysan completely denuded of vegetation except for the dark patch of Sesuvium and =- -lacs in background, 11 April 1923. 19. Camp on Laysan showing two surviving Cocos trees, 13 April 1923 20. Laysan Albatross and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters in patch of Sesuvium, 5 May 1923. 21. Red-footed Booby colony in single Casuarina tree with two surviving Cocas in background, 5 May 1923. 22. Tobacco patch and associated birds, 10 May 1923. 23. Wedge-tailed Shearwaters near nesting burrow, 12 April 1923. 2. HIXAN