161 Umi River-Lae This morning the Umi was running dirty gray-brown and agood foot over normal level; we had long, heavy rain at camp last night. The Ofim too has high and had been in actual flood during the night, as shown by fresh driftwood piled on the bouldery beaches. Torrential rain had fallen during the night between the Ofim and the Meniang, flooding over the road in many places, running a foot deep through one of the numerous villages, and depositing a nice coating of fresh silt in the banana plantings of the natives. The Meniang itself had not been high. Conditions were semi-dry at Kaiapit, and progressively dry as we drove east down the broad Mark- ham Valley. Kaiapit is said to be about on the border between the eastern Markham and Lae area with most rain in the SE tradewind season and the upper Markham and Ramu area where the big rains come in the NW monsoon season. Toward the dreaded Leron River there was dust on the road. The Leron we were relieved to find was at low stage and for our Land Rover there was no difficulty in crossing. The Leron is a braided stream running in a gravelly and bouldery bed about 1/4 mile wide at the Ford. The channels are constantly shifting. Today there were two main ones both about 2 feet deep and two or three minor ones. The water is always turbid, as in the Umi, Ofim and Meniang. The Leron is the last remaining major obstacle on the road between Lae and the Highlands. It is now being bridged above the ford, at its narrow debouchment from the Finisterres. The Markham Valley was hot and dry from the Meniang as far down as Nadzab (great military air base in World War II). Below that the valley is filled with lowland rain forest, and even in the forest conditions were dry and small swamps by the roadside were dry or with little water in them. Lae, as usual was not short of rain. Annual rainfall there is nearly 200 inches. Particulars of Umi mammals collection: 112 specimens, 24 spp. New for the collection: Dorcopsis, Echymipera rufescens, Dendrolagus, Rhinolophus?, Hipposideros diadema, insectivorous bat (genus?). The Dendrolagus, collected by PO Harris, was from Gwaisiram, headwaters of the Waffa River, eastern fall of the Kratke Mts. It looks like D. matschei, but this species is supposed not to occur south of the Markham-Ramu Valley and comparison may show differences. Locality information ob- tained only today. Monday, November 30. Day spent in preliminary arrangements for closing the expedition, examining collections stored in the Forests godown. Everything apparently in perfect condition with the exception of mosses in the top of a field box which must have been stored under a leak in the godown roof. Four packets badly molded. Have arranged for Burns Philp to handle the shipping of the cargo. Laurie Crowley of Karanka and Crowley Airways came good with the gift of two very fine examples of ancient stone objects: a beautifully scalloped "mortar" and a "rain stone". The latter, roughly round in shape, looks like a grinding stone with two indents for finger holds. Have not seen anything like it before. Crowley has another of these rain stones, so called because the moderns, when in need of rain, cast them into the Wanton River. A recent semi-drought came about because Crowley removed the stones from Karanka, where they belonged, to Lae. Have Qantas air bookings out of Lae for Port Moresby for December 10, on to Cairns December 13. Hope to be able to make these tentative dates. Van has arranged for a visit to Fred Shaw Mayer at Nondugl on the Western Highlands. I am booked for a round trip flight by MAL to Rabaul via Goroka, Madang, Wewak, Momoto and Kavieng. This will give me an idea of some important New Guinea areas of which I have no personal knowledge at present.