154 Umi River Collected along the motor road about half way to the bridge which spans the northern tributary of the Umi. Forest poorly developed on immature, rubbly soils of gray color. However, collected 20 numbers in short time and returned to camp to build windbreaks to protect my working space. Plants included a big Casuarina from the riverbanks, a tall seral Neonauclea from flood terraces, an unusual Clematis, a common Tecomanthe with big pink and cream flowers, an oleaceous small tree which looks like a species also common at Kassam. Mammal collecting has started poorly. Nothing in traps last night; one Syconycteris netted over our water-place stream. Numbers of giant swifts hawked over the resthouse clearing at dusk, but only one bat was seen. Flying foxes seen by Van and John, jacking after dinner, but nothing shot. There is no village of any size within a mile or more of camp but a few visitors drifted in during the day. Efforts made to entice them get their dogs and hunt for us. As usual, the bush swarms with all sorts of desirable creatures, especially in the mountains upstream, where kapuls (cuscus s.l.) and Sikau (wallabies) are "all same pipia" (like rubbish). Sunday, November 15. Some light rain for an unknown time last night. Overcast a.m. until about 11. Heavy rain about 2-2:30 p.m. Botanized up the river for some good trees and other interesting plants. Big trees a common Dysoxylum of flood terraces and hill slopes, and Albizzia? characteristic of the terraces along the river. Am getting a lot of plants new to the collection but this locality has limited botanical possibilities on what I have seen so far. Difficulties with my plant drying equipment are increasing. One-inch web straps were substituted for the 1/2 inch ordered by radio from Australia nearly 3 weeks ago; for non-slip buckles ordered I was supplied with, actually, tongue buckles and eye holes which ripped under any strain; absolute trash. Am gettin by by doubling l-inch straps. Chief trouble now is the rapid breaking up of my "fibervelope" dryers. They are going to dust. I am allergic to the dust, which reddens my clothing and hands and settles all over me. Most days for the past fortnight begin for me with lips or parts of my face swollen, numb, and itching, and this sometimes lasts through the day. My hands itch, too, but do not swell. I have always been allergic to library dust. There will be no getting away from the fibervelope dust for another two weeks. More disappointment in the mammal department. Only one specimen, a Melomys, in over 100 traps. Only Syconycteris in two bat nets. Only one bat seen in the camp clearing. Kim shot a cuscus but did not bring it home. Van got nothing from jacking. But natives came good with a Miniopteris taken from a tree hollow, and a Dorcopsis got by hunting in the forest of the hills with the dogs. Was amazed to find that Van had offered two pounds for wallabies brought in. Half of that would have been a high price. The mammal is worth two pounds to us, but money does not grow on trees and we are 95 miles from Lae. We have about 20 pounds on hand. Monday, November 16. Partly cloudy, very muggy day. Temperature under our thatched roof at 1 p.m. 87 F. which is high for New Guinea. We are in the heat build up that precedes the rainy season. Thunderstorms around us this afternoon, but only a sprinkle in camp.