152 Water Rice Botanized in bist of forest and on the grasslands to about a mile down the creek from camp. Flora very poor. Biggest patch of forest about an acre; mainly Erythrina sp., a small Arenga in the sparse undergrowth. Big mango trees probably planted. Got an interesting lot of Cyperaceae on a silty flood bank of the creek. The stream an open wash of gray boulders of crystalline rocks from the Kassam side of the valley ? Naturalized American plants prominent. Very abundant Crotolaria striata the food of a day-flying moth which seems to be a small Eutheisa, much like E. bella of the south central parts of Florida. Centrosema sprawling on the gravel, and some Sida and Passiflora foetida. Afternoon spent on an excursion to Gusap to visit bat caves reported near there. Had the usual run around by local natives who professed to know the caves, and offered to guide us there, but failed to turn up when we were ready to start. We had two youths as replacements. Drove 8-9 miles to Gusap homestead, where Sid Staines joined us with one of his boys. Boys of his about the homestead sudden- ly forgot the whereabouts of a cave said to be close by across the Ramu River when it comes out on the plain from the Ramu Gap. We therefore followed one of the old military roads about 3 miles down the river to where some holes showed in the limestone ridge which rises close to the river on the south. The holes did not look like caves, and anyhow the river was running fast and muddy and no one felt like trying to cross it. Altitude there about 100 ft. lower than our Water Rice camp, where the aneroid has been reading 1400-1500 ft. today. Gusap air strip said to be at 1100 ft. The grass plains very disappointing for plants. Principal grass Themeda triandra, lot of Sorghum fulvum in hollows. A shrubby Mussaenda abundant, and over one large area a small Cycas which is reported to poison the cattle. Collected a few herbs on a gravelly stretch near the river where the grass grew thinly. The plain seems mainly of fine gravel and small boulders thinly covered with blackish soil. This formation showed to a depth of fully 20 feet in the eroding north bank of the Ramu, and Staines says it extends across the valley in a broad band. At the homestead the top soil is a feet or more deep, below this a layer of black pug as described by Staines, and below that a friable pale soil which might be fertile. Area of the cattle property is 42,000 acres. Carrying capacity a safe 5000 head under present unimproved conditions. Property has one pure bred Santa Gertrudas bull -- fine beast of good conformation and rich dark red color. Traps are yielding poorly. Natives brought in three Scoteinus -- new to the collection for the trip. A Pteropus shot by Van tonight. Thursday, November 12. About 50/50 sun and cloud. Strong east wind at times; sometimes a breeze from opposite direction. No rain. Drove down the road 1-1 1/2 miles to the Bibwoi River. This seems to be the true headwaters stream of the Markham, but at this time of year it is nothing but a dry, gravelly channel 50-60 yds. wide at the road. Unfavorable for botanizing there, so drove back a few hundred yards to big Lagasaria village, on the outskirts of which, on the bank of a small, running stream, I photographed a human head cut from the inverted butt of a coconut palm. Walked a mile up the Kassam road late in the afternoon to make more photos of the curious green-spathed banana (Musa #32476).