177 Sydney-Hobart Beeman eager to visit U.S. to study techniques; strikes me as a good man of pretty high artistic ability. Marlow (formerly in Game Dept. in N. Rhodesia, and C.S.I.R.O. Wildlife Survey, Australia) is reorganizing mammal collections. Is breeding and observing Antechinus flavipes in his office; very ingenious cages. At Gardens, Director Andersen and 2 i/c Mair both were away. Talked with Johnson, Joyce Vickery, etc. Johnson has not got to publication stage on a revision of Casuarina on which he was working in 1956 (my last visit). Now on a regrouping of Eucalyptus (over 400 spp.) and revision of N.S.W. species. Vickery was recently in U.S. on a world tour. Miss Tindale working on Australian Cyathea, etc. There is a staff shortage. Anderson never was a live wire. Friday, January 15. Phil Spalding breakfasted with me at the hotel. He and Bill Hosmer (who came in later) are preparing for a herps collecting trip into the Northern Territory and West Australia. Have bought a small Land Rover. They leave for Canberra by road Monday, en route the south end of the H-S Railway, from where the vehicle will be railed to Alice Springs. Plan to go west from Alice Springs to Lake Howlitt; a small perennial stream, originating in a rock hole c. "8 x 9 ft. by 18 ft. deep", flows for 50 miles through an attractive valley into the lake (a dry salt pan). A little known tribe of abos there (about 80 people seen when Hosmer was there with Donald Thomson several years ago). Prepared also to work also on the Coburg Peninsula in Northern Territory; in the Kimberlys in West Australia. There may be difficulty in getting a collecting permit in W.A. An influential gentleman named Fraser, who has something to do with conservation in Perth, reported hostile to collectors. Fairly recently the Australian Museum was refused a permit. Reptiles and amphi- bians are protected fauna in W.A. Phil knows someone in the U.S. Embassy in Can- berra and this might help. Phil arrived by Qantas from New York earlier in the week. Must return by April - income tax and family reasons. Apparently Hosmer will carry on until August. He has been engaged for two years. An area in Sumatra, where he was supposed to go for Chicago and AMNH, 50/50, is closed for military reasons. (Chicago was putting up $4,000 for this project). I have TAA bookings for Hobart tomorrow; thence to Canberra on the 18th. Saturday, January 16. Left Sydney on TAA Vickers Viscount at 9:40 and arrived Hobart 12:45, with stop of c. ½ hour at Launcester. Air bumpy over Tasmania, which is in the throes of a heat wave. Soil blowing some miles N. of Hobart. Bush fires in mountains. Strong N. wind from dead heart of Australian continent. Thick brown haze. Temperature reached 102 in Hobart today. A burning heat, but dry, and not too uncomfortable. Staying at Hadley's Hotel. Edwardian air. Very clean. Good food. This a weekend vacation visit. Was glad to find Hobart Van Deusen here, staying at the Wrest Point Hotel. He flew down from Melbourne yesterday and leaves for Adelaide Monday afternoon. Dined with me this evening. Later we went to the hospitable house of Dr. and Mrs. Don Martin of C.S.I.R.O. Div. of Plant Industry. Martin a horticulturist; head of this division in Tasmania; specialist in apples; has visited Europe and E.S. twice in official capacity, once (1957) on vacation. Towards midnight we drove to marine signal station on top of 1100 ft. Mt. Nelson. Numerous phone calls after my arrival, first to trace Van, then Bill Thorn of Iowa, who was due to arrive two days ago with a botanist from Melbourne but has not turned up. University botanists and museum director courteous enough