181 Sydney—Flight to U.S.A. C.E. Lane-Poole came to the hotel to lunch with me. Now 75, did the first real forest exploration and spot surveys in eastern New Guinea in the early 20's, later was head of the Australian Forestry School, is now retained as consulting forester by the Bulolo timber company. Graduate of Nancy; early experience in forestry in Sierra Leone and South Africa. Thoroughly alert; likes a few drinks; knows wines very well; a polished steel hook functions for his lost left hand. Said hook attracted considerable attention from ladies in the hotel lounge. Saturday, January 23. Was visited at the hotel by Phil Spalding and Bill Hosmer. Phil reported that he has from Hoey of the Embassy at Canberra personal letters of introduction to Archer, Administrator of Northern Territory, and to Fraser, the bogeyman in Perth. He and Hosmer expect to leave by road Tuesday for the Central Railway at Quorn in S. Australia, from where the outfit will be trucked to Alice Springs. Radcliffe and Coleby of Wildlife Division, C.S.I.R.O., have offered laboratory facilities at Katherine. If Museum approves, one Alec Holmes, who was a photographer with Amand Denis in Africa, a former editor of Wildlife (Australia), and a member of Herpetological Society of Australia, will be taken on as an extra hand in March, at no expense to the expedition except for food. Hosmer has known Holmes since 1948. The Land Rover being fitted with spare gas tank of 40 gal. capacity, plow seat on bennet, etc. Hosmer will collect what mammals he can for AMNH. Later, as I was packing my bags, Phil came in again to show me a letter from Gregg, Director of Fisheries and Game, South Australia, in reply to a request for a collecting permit written by Bogert of AMNH on December 19. Tone of letter hard to understand (unless it was written and signed by some clerk in Gregg's absence?). Gist of it is that permit is under consideration. South Australian protection laws are being revised! Strong stress laid on the fact that a permit is necessary for collecting in S. Australia. On the information I have, the only collecting likely to be done in S.A. is while the expedition is in transit to Alice Springs (in N. Territory). And, my impression from talks at the Australian Museum is that herps are protected fauna only in West Australia. Suggested that if Spalding-Hosmer wish to collect in S.A. they check with local authorities re coverage of the existing Act; then contact Gregg by phone or telegram if necessary. Left Sydney 4:15 p.m. on Boeing 707 4-motor jet of Qantas Airways. Nandi, Fiji, 1891 statute miles, reached in 4 hours 5 minutes. Left Nandi 11:30 p.m. (Fiji time) on 1329-mile flight to Honolulu and arrived there at 6:17 a.m. on the 23rd, Fiji time (the crossing of International Date Line accounts for the anomalous second Saturday Jan. 23). Left Honolulu at 10:40 a.m. their time and arrived San Francisco (2437 miles) at 3:15 p.m. Honolulu time. We were scheduled to depart San Francisco at 11:30 p.m. local time, but fog closed down about 8 o'clock and we spent the night at the International Inn Motel as guests of the airline. Sunday, January 24. Left San Francisco at 10:03 a.m. in rain and fog and arrived New York in 4 hours 55 minutes; distance 2700 miles. This was at 5:58 p.m. New York time on a clear, cold night. Distance from Sydney to New York 10,247 statute miles, flying time 20 hours 22 minutes, average speed between 8 and 9 miles per minute.