Pearson - 1994 22 November 10- SAREM meeting in Cordoba. Luz Gonzales from Validivia told Anita about the cana quila flowering at their study area near San Martin. There was indeed a ratada, but Oryzomys was the only species that increased. Normally they reach a max of 60/ha, but they reached 200/ha. She said they were transients and that they ate water pipes, kitchen supplies, etc. They were much larger than usual; usually about 28g, but many were 70-75g. The flowering began in 1992; in January 1994 there were 53 million seeds per ha, 60- 80% of them viable. In February 1994 there was a storm and after that all seeds were infertile (floated in water).In March and April the mice appeared. Unfortunately, Pedro, her native field assistant, broke his leg and was unable to help document everything. December 14- Chile. The uppermost clumps of quila, above the Chilean Aduana, are dead, and have many seedlings under them; maybe 20 per m2. All these seedlings are of minimum size, 3 or less leaves. Farther down the hill, almost all the quila along the road is dead. We found a few clumps that had neither bloomed nor died. Oe was almost dead, had some clumps of green/brown leaves which with binoculars looked like flowering heads or seed heads high up. A Phrygilus was feeding on them. Saw one flock of parrots at Aguas Calientes, and a flock of Araucanian pigeons along the road a few km east of Termas de Puyehue. Everyplace we stopped we found seedlings under the dead quila. Sizes varied from brand new (only one minileaf) to three culms of graded diameter (presumably three ages ?years?). The masses of dead culms and branches are a real mess, very difficult to walk across, splendid cover for mice. Saw no mice, nor raptors other than caracaras. In the forest at Aguas Calientes were numerous branched bamboos (species?) that had not bloomed. The other species of bamboo had not bloomed; we saw no bloom on non-quila species. A paisana whom we picked up said that the quila blooms every 30 years. By chance we met at Aguas Calientes the New Zealand television crew (Crispin Sadler) who were filming bamboo, mice etc. December 17- Visited the bamboo at Pampa Quemada. Clumps that burned in the fire two years ago have green culms a meter or more tall, very leafy right down almost to