102 Kotuni party left camp at 8:30 a.m. and returned, sopping wet and cold to the bone, at 5:50 p.m. They brought a big collection of plants to be examined tomorrow. John too tired tonight to give much information on the mountain. Tuesday, August 11. One of those rare, sunny, bright days; the only decent weather since we arrived at this camp. Some high cloud; no rain. Worked all day on yesterday's collection of plants from high on Mt. Otto. Have 52 numbers catalogued and some remain to be done. Most of the plants are from the 3040 - 3300 m levels of a narrow leading spur which carries scrubby growths (at those levels) on up to about 200 feet of the summit. The party worked upwards. They were close to the summit grasslands when rain began. Therefore little was collected at the upper levels. There are a few alpines including a small red Vaccinium strange to me. Hardly anything definitely sub- alpine. Xanthomyrtus and a Decaspermum are abundant (dominant?) in the scrub of the spur. If there is a sub-alpine zone of vegetation it is perhaps in a narrow band between the Xanthomyrtus-Decaspermum community and the alpine grass. John estimates about 60 acres of grassland on top. An alpine treefern there was not collected. Nor were any conifers from any level. Three native huts on the scrubby spur - none habitable. The most striking plant collected was a spectacular dark pink Rhododendron of peculiar shade which occurred as a tall, profuse-flowering shrub at 3260 m. The collection raises more questions on altitudinal distribution than it answers. The same team will do the ascent again when the weather is favorable. The 3-hour climb of over 4000 feet, and about equal return time on the very steep slopes, would be too much for me to prudently attempt in a day. Last night was still and moist after the rain. Had a very good catch of moths at the light trap, and from the inside and outside walls of the house. Numbers perhaps not as many as on the best nights at Kaindi, but many of the moths are of extraordinary beauty. A few very big ones coming in. In groups other than moths the variety and quantity are poor. Beetles are notably scarce. Wednesday, August 12. Another day almost as perfect as yesterday. Last night was cloudy. Tonight is clear, with a keen breeze down the valley, and for the first time in almost a week there is hardly an insect flying. There was no audible cheer this morning when I told my boys to prepare for another trip up the mountain with John. They left camp about 8 a.m. and returned at 6:15 p.m. Finishing work on plants soon after lunch, I walked down the road to view the top of Mt. Otto, and as a result have an understanding of the vegetation of the uppermost few hundred feet. The slopes below that are hidden by fronting ridges. Details in small notebook. Arrived in camp this afternoon young Michael Collins, about 22-year old brother of John. A bright and most profane young man. He is looking after John's coffee property on the Baiyer River while John is with us. Goes out there perhaps once a month to check on the plantation and trade stores. Has just returned with a report. There is also a report on the Spalding-Peterson Expedition. Michael drove Rus and Lionel Evennet from Nondugl to Dan Leahy's place near Mt. Hagen to