Kaindi The mammal department struck it rich last night. John found a Melomys new to the collection in his traps on the Watut fall, shot a Dactylonax and a Phalanger vestitus in the tall primary forest of the range crest on his way back to camp (arrival about 10:30). Only a couple of the common crest rats in traps. But this afternoon there arrived from Joe Havel a jar containing two Syconycteris in pickle and, a real prize, the very rare Phoniscus, apparently unknown previously from T-NG. Four species new to the collection in 24 hours (the Melomys, Dactylonax, P. vestitus, and Phoniscus. The bats were brought up to our camp by Mike Kazakoff, forest ranger at Wau, who was accompanied by one Ross of Forests, Bulolo, and two female school teachers from Bulolo. Havel sent for me ample material of Podocarpus amarus (with big red fruits up to nearly 3 cm in diameter) and P. neriifolius. The visitors brought a picnic lunch with them and planned to go on to the top of Kaindi Mt. Sunday, May 24. A snappy 48 degrees this morning. Some cloud during the day but generally clear and no rain. Worked about half the day on plants, the rest on completing payment of April accounts and writing letters. My boys, sent out for a couple of hours in the morning, especially for Rhododendrons on the hard bare clayey ground of extensive old mine workings across the valley, brought in three closely related species or forms with small red pendent flowers and small leaves. Also a ground orchid of genus unknown to me which I last remember seeing around our grassland camp in Murray Pass in 1953 (an Australian element, I think. All of my very numerous orchid specimens lie undetermined at Harvard). Only a few common rats in traps. A Chimbu boy named Wok, brought by Richard Leahy, brought in from a snare he had set the first Lorentzomys forbesi for the trip. Jacking up the Mt. Kaindi road last night yielded another Pseudocheirus forbesi. Late in the morning our meiner-economist neighbor, Scotty Sutherland, walked in from his camp at Edie Creek and asked to be driven down to Wau where he had a sick boy at Franklin's plantation. High talk at lunch before John drove him down. But it seems likely it was mainly the effects of dry horrors. After taking his sick boy to the native hospital, he repaired to the pub and started in on double rums. This evening he is blind as a bat and refused to be brought home. We learn now from men who know Scotty that this was expected, but all had the good taste not to mention his weakness before. Monday, May 25. Change of wind to the south and somewhat cloudy and warmer today. Clouds heavy and black at times in afternoon, but no rain. We are told that down at Wau the weather is hot and dry. Had John drive me down the Wau road a couple of miles (to Blue Point) and botanized back. Collected mostly ferns; nothing spectacular. Noted, however, that a gray-foliaged Quercus of which I have seen perhaps half a dozen scattered examples in the Nothofagus forest during the past two weeks, is common on narrow and steep spurs which descend to Edie Creek from about road level (6600-6500 ft.). This suggests an orderly (according to LJB) succession from midmountain oak to beech forest with increase in altitude on these mountains.