144 Kassam Tuesday, October 27. A little light rain during the night. Morning mostly cloudy. Afternoon less so. Gusts of wind down the little valley in which we are located, and strong drive of clouds from the SE overhead. Botanized up the creek from where it crosses the road toward the pass. Good primary forest dominated by Castanopsis and oaks with an admixture of other, bigger trees of which one is a Sloanea. A red Mucuna making a great display from about the middle spaces down to near the ground. Some species the same as at Arau, which is no more than 30 miles distant in a straight line, others new to the collection. One of the new plants is a big Pasania with medium-sized, pointed acorns and gray leafage. Particulars of Van's Arau collections: 30 species, 158 specimens of mammals, plus nine sent over from Aiyura by John Barrett. 13 spp. are new to the Kratke Mts. (Shaw Mayer got 36 in the general area back in the 30's). Four of Van's mammals are topotypes. Two are new for this expedition: Myotis and Distoechurus. A good series was taken of the (new?) white-footed Rattus first collected at Gono. Total mammals to date are 1963. Herps. Snakes 13 (possibly 8 spp.), lizards 11 (possibly 4 spp. including a giant forest gecko); frogs 117 (possibly 12-15 spp.). House geckos do not occur anywhere we have been on the Highlands. An effort was made to introduce them at Goroka, but they lived for a short time behind the kerosene-burning refrigerator -- warmest place in the house -- then died. Wednesday, October 28. Foggy morning; the clouds pouring over the range-top from the Markham. Showers and fog (rather than mist) in the Kassam Gap until about 11 o'clock. Very extensive view of the Markham Valley, fresh and green, after that; the Finisterres under cloud about ca.5000 ft. Had John drive me up to the gap (c. 2 miles) and down to an abandoned road camp 150 ft. below the top. Stayed in the vicinity all morning. The forest there is of Castanopsis and oak for the most part, but carrying a considerable admixture of rain forest elements, e.g. Sloanea, an Endiandra?, in the canopy layer. The lower layers rain forest in character and probably ascending from the Markham. Collected several smaller trees which I can not place to genus. A brilliant red Medinilla which was a common high epiphyte at Arau was taken not 30 feet from the ground this morning. Collection also includes a beautiful lavender Passiflora with black corona. Van had little in traps (only a brown Melomys) but the local natives made a good start by bringing in Peroryctes raffrayanus and a Dactylopsila. Pseudocheirus forbesi shot by John last night. Big Emballonura shot at the camp at dark. Maa was brought to camp from Kainantu by Zigas about noon. Zigas on a blood typing and malaria detection project; got 70-odd samples from the local people. Interesting man, but his talk is rapid and English often indistinct. Both he and Maa half sick with malaria. Zigas Estonian by birth. Was taken in to the German army while a medical student. Speaks Russian and was an interpreter in the language for the Germans. Born in 1920. Is dissatisfied with the P-NG medical service; too much penny pinching and difficulty in getting supplies; but seems to have no intention of leaving; too much wrapped up in research. Research funds come from the U.S. in generous measure.