Arau Most noteworthy plants collected were five spp. of ground orchids. Two small palms were seen, both sterile; at least 4 spp. of Freycinetia. The forest more like rain forest than mid-mountain forest in the character and composition of its undergrowth. I have 161 plant numbers for our first week here. Van has 19 mammal species. Today the white-footed Rattus of Gono turned up in traplines (first since Gono) and Echymipera was brought in by plantation natives. Met this evening in the Larner's house Lorry Crowley, well known air pilot who owns Karanka Plantation nearby. Karanka was taken up about 1952, by a company, to grow tea. The tea grew very well. But the company was not very sound, or well supplied with funds, and the cost of a factory was beyond it. Tuesday, October 13. Heavily overcast, misty morning followed by a showery day, some showers heavy. A thunderstorm began about 5:30. There has been thunder every afternoon since our arrival, from all points of the compass, but so far no lightning has been seen. Spent a wet and not very rewarding morning in the forests between the plantation and the Wanton River. All Castanopsis-oak forest on steep to moderate slopes, and on low-lying flats along the river. Cut track up the river on my return towards camp. Best plant for the day was a beautiful Rhododendron with small yellow and orange flowers, brought in by a native during my absence and for which I have no field data. It is new to the collection. Another good plant was an undergrowth tree with yellow flowers like those of with hazel, and perhaps a member of the Hamamelidaceae, a rare family in New Guinea. We are in a locality in which, apparently, prehistoric stone mortars (so called by the layman) are dug up in some quantity. The Larners have four various shapes in their garden which were unearthed when holes were being dug for coffee plants. Crowley has others, from his property, one from a depth of 8 feet where his airstrip was being levelled. The finds were on small, plateau- like areas, with good brown soil, which are now being planted to coffee. Larner offers my choice of one of his four for the Museum. Wednesday, October 14. Clear, colorful sunrise with fog filling the valley bottoms and the heights standing out sharply. Sky soon overcast and heavy rain set in at 11:45 a.m. Weather took up about middle of afternoon. Cool breeze from c. NE tonight. Forest very wet when I went into the field this morning, and it will be still wetter tomorrow. Had John drive me to an outsize Castanopsis on the NE edge of the planted plateau, where a track descends through the forest to the new clearing on the O&awa River. From there returned part way along the motor road, where John picked me up where I sheltered from the rain under a roadbank overhang. A fair collection of plants included several rain forest elements and the 3rd sp. of Freycinetia to be taken here. An interesting fern was pendent Oleandropsis of the middle spaces in the forest. The rain forest elements in- cluded a big Dysoxylum of the canopy layer and a canopy tree of the Sapindaceae. The first night in several when jacking is possible; Van and Kim are out with guns.