Oomsis 39 that we saw today, and a broad swampy depression to the north of the plantation along the Lae Road, were formerly one big lake. The talk is that no stream other than the 2-way gutter flows into the lake, and this gutter is the only outflow. The lake appears deep in general. The water is sweet and clear. Saw no signs of fishing by natives, but the lake is reputed to be full of crocodiles and we saw one big fellow floating well out from the shore. Some time postwar, and rather recently, I understand, it was proposed to use Lake Wanum as a source of hydro power for the supply of Lae. An elaborate survey went on for over a year (we saw a benchmark on a grassy slope above the little bay where we ended our walk this morning). Eventually it was realized that Oomsis Creek was the only stream which could feasibly be used to replenish the lake. The Oomsis is always of small volume except during flash floods of the wet season. It ceases to flow in at least most dry seasons. Therefore the imaginative hydro scheme was abandoned. From it we have an established elevation of 248 feet for the ground at Baker's house. We made the elevation of the lake but this has been up and down day for the barometer. My plant haul for the morning was 18 numbers including 4 submerged aquatics and the Nelumbium, a scrambling Jasminum with fragrant white flowers, my first Hydnophytum for the trip, a Hypolytrum with conspicuous white inflorescences common in marshy places in this neighborhood, and a curious verbenaceous herb with four leaves produced from a wood rootstock and lying flat on the ground in the grasslands. This herb would seem to produce leaves and flowers only after burning of the grass. It wilted almost immediately when dug up in the heat of the day. In zoology, we have a number of very small fishes caught by the younger whites with my butterfly nets, and still to be examined. A couple of species of aquatic snails. Some blue damselflies, and other "binatangs" (- insects & spiders). At 8 pm the SE breeze up the valley is still too strong for the insects to be emptied from the killing bottles. They would blow off my table. Quite a bit of color film exposed on the lake this morning. All but Lionel and I went in bathing, but close to shore. The lake and its surroundings are really beautiful. The shallows sparkle with mica flakes. With a couple of thousand feet of additional elevation it would make a wonderful health resort. Sunday, May 3. Continuation of recent weather, with even stronger wind up valley and during late morning as well as the afternoon. Still puffs of wind at 7 pm. Rigged extra shielding for my 2 drying ovens, but have had difficulty in keeping temperatures up. No rain for days now. Finished my field work for the locality with a drive 2½ miles down the road to collect a fine, pink-flowered Schuurmansia which I got days ago but which fell to pieces then before I could get it into the dryer. My totals for the camp are 216 numbers of plants, including 14 mosses; 1196 sheets of phanerogams and vascular cryptogams. It has been necessary for me to take time for organizational work which could profitably have been spent in the field. I feel that I could continue with worth while results here for at least another fortnight. I have not even touched on most of the territory within convenient reach. More trees are in fruit than in flower, but about an ordinary average for lowland rain forest are in flower. The SE wind, continuing into the night, has about ruined Van's bat shooting lately. Nothing shot at dusk last night; one small Miniopterus shot