Diary - Van Deusen Masba Creek Camp 15 May 1964 (Friday) Some sun in A. M. Temperature about 73° most of day. Light rain while bat- shooting (6:00 - 6:30 P. M.). Rain at dinner. Dull day for mammals, except for the excitement of making up the Macruromys which is a real bonus rodent in New Guinea. It is very "delicate", not the skin, but the hair of parts of the back slips very easily even when fresh. We had our first Rattus ruber of the trip - from a trap near the small creek in rain forest south of camp. When is this "waste-basket" species going to be studied - we have ample material in New York now? I hope that Horner and Taylor involve themselves in New Guinea Rattus when they complete their Australian Rattus study. We also had a much battered and eaten Melomys. Also, a meri (woman - Pidgin English) brought in a Melomys without a tail. Stan shot five small birds for the collection. I gave Tobram permission to shoot a black cockatoo, one of several we have seen at this camp, for sing-sing feathers. A matter of morale! Tobram, who was with me on the 1959 expedition, is from the Highlands - Mt. Wilhelm. He and his people value decorative bird plumage more than anything else in their circumscribed world. Different men even "own" the various bird-of- paradise display trees. Severe penalties are exacted for poaching. Davida asked us all to come up and help him clear the ground where he shot a small mammal while jacking last night (possibly an arboreal Pogonomys?). It was on a vine when shot. All we found was a tiny scrap of fur. Too close? Shot too heavy? We have quite a range of shot size (12 gauge, BB to #9; 410 gauge, #9 - #12) but occassionally we miscalcute!