150 Kassam-Water Rice There is no exposure to the direct force of the SE winds of the monsoon climate, and the midmountain forest of Fagaceae have in general the appearance of a mixed rain forest. There is very little moss anywhere on the leaf-strewn ground, and the ground cover or rather, low undergrowth, is chiefly woody. The camp has been poor for insects. Every night a breeze moves down or up the valley, making light trapping unrewarding. Netting has been practically confined to Odonata, of which I have probably not more than 50 all told. There is some variety in butterflies in the sheltered entrenchment of the creek, but I have not had time to collect many myself and my boy's time is taken up with plants. With our Land Rover transport, we can not carry an extra boy for bugs. The local natives in most of our localities have brought in herps in numbers and good variety, they being easy to catch. Counting the Tachyglossus remains, and a half-grown Satanellus brought in by natives today, Van now has 29 mammal spp. for the camp. I plan to go in to Kainantu in the morning to ship collections and spare gear, and we should be at Water Rice, in the Markham Valley, tomorrow night. In preparation for this move to the malaria ridden lowlands, we have been dosing the boys with prophylactic camoquin for the past two weeks. Monday, November 9. John and I to Kainantu after breakfast, taking specimens and spare gear for air transport to Lae, also Maa and his be- longings. Maa plans to fly to Lae tomorrow, thence to Rabaul, New Ireland and Bougainville before returning to Dutch New Guinea. We went to Kainantu by the short-cut road, which crosses the Ramu by a swing bridge at the head of the gorge by which the river descends to the lowlands. Good, strong bridge, but badly designed, and the sumpcase of the Landrover got stuck; got clear by lifting the tail. Returned by the long road, via Aiyura. Left Kassam at 3 p.m., fully loaded, and reached Water Rice, at 1500 ft. (corrected aneroid) in the Markham Valley about five; distance about 12 miles. Valley very hazy, but our arrival at the bottom was after the heat of the day and temperature was not unpleasant. Soft night air. Breezes from thunderstorms, first down the valley, then up, kept the mosquitoes subdued -- those seen all anopheles. We are camped in the government resthouse. Stopped in the valley, some 200 ft. up the gentle slopes above the rest- house, to photograph and collect an extraordinary wild banana growing in the tall-grass savanna. The spathes are persistent, green, imbricated and completely covering the fruits. The native names is sus. Water Rice, we are told by the caretaker and "turnem talk" in charge of the resthouse, should properly be called Wara. The stream is Rering -- the r's rolled. Late District Officer, who built this end of the range road, is responsible for the name Water Rice. In pidgin, water prefixed names, e.g. Water Ramu. Above D.O. was Haviland. Tuesday, November 10. Hot, sunny morning with very little air movement, but very uncomfortably hot. Squally rain 4-4.30 p.m. from a thunder- storm. This from about N.