ea
August 31,
1964
(cont.)
—_
1420 Lv Edna
1445 ArT Engebi to pick up Jackson and Arnold
ta.
1500 Lv Engebi
1705 Arrive back at Eniwetok
On engebi Jackson caught 1 roof rat in a Scaevola bush where
he was apparently feeding on small green Scaevola fruit.
"Virtu-
PME
ally no mature Scaevola fruit was seen on the island."
"Hypothesis:
Rats and disappearance of Cenchrus
from the island are causally related.
this plant were
‘preferred'
(sand burr)
Apparently the seeds of
food.
"Forest mice can effectively prevent reseeding of evergreen
forests in some situations.
rats to have literally
Might it have been possible for these
eaten the plant to extinction?
"Now that this food source is gone,
the carrying capacity of
the island is reduced and fewer rats are present.
“Japtan has many rats
(but of a different species)
and much
Cenchrus, but coconuts and other food plants are present in great
abundance.
Is there another island comparable to Engebi in these
respects?"
Observations by Palumbo on 3anildefonso
(Edna)
Island:
“Photographed the island and its vegetation and collected plants
for analysis.
The
'main'
island appears smaller than the
‘sand’