77- This 2230 m. camp has been very satisfactory for collections. Van in 30 days has a total of 270 mammals of 18, possibly 20 species, most of them in good series. (Geoff's take was 132 reptiles and amphibians, and around 500 insects. The tally in plants is 752 numbers (including 173 bryophytes), 2533 herbarium sheets of vascular plants. In plants it would not be unreasonable to expect 8 to 10 per cent new species. Probably it will run over that. Saturday, June 20, 1953. A bright, hot day for our move down to #2 Camp. Too dry in fact, for the carriers on their way up set fire to the fern and grass and transport was held up for the best part of an hour by the resulting conflagration. A very dirty looking page Supervised the breaking of camp. Had the 40 carrier loads set out in line, then started down the track with my two boys to botanize on the long stretch of slopes between the two camps. Left Top Camp 3:45 and arrived #2 Camp 1 o'clock. The whole party there by 2:30. Some of the carriers went on to Biniguni immediately, taking six loads of specimens. Had arranged for a native hunter to join the party at this new camp and on arrival found 2 big blackish cuscus hanging on the tent pole. The hunter was elderly, small and wizened Councillor _____________ of Biniguni who brought two dogs and his wife to carry food for the dogs. (New Guinea dogs live on a diet of sweet potatoes, etc.). A good start, but what we really want is tree-climbing kangaroos and the big spiny ant-eater (Zaglossus). Sunday, June 21, 1953: The main work of rigging camp completed. We have two tents, preparations fly, cook's fly and boys' fly. Ground very uneven on the narrow spur crest, but poles and lashing material plentiful. The small gully pools which supplied us with water five weeks ago when we came up the mountain have dried up, but a good and slightly more distant supply is available. New Guinea people think nothing of carrying water up a steep slope of a couple of hundred feet. Van could hardly contain himself when this morning the councillor brought in a fine big brown tree-climbing Kangaroo, plus a brown ringtail (Pseudocheirus) new to the collection. Have decided to call this the 1550 m. Camp. Monday, June 22, 1953: With Ken and four boys went down the trail to pick a spot for a #3 Camp. This is the dry season and water is the difficulty in selecting a camping place on the lower parts of the mountain. Hoped to find a supply at 1100 - 1000 m. A noisy stream off to the east of the trail, but it flows in a gorge and is out of practicable reach. Our #3 Camp must therefore be at 700 m., where Geoff and I spent a night on the way up the mountain. This will be a suitable place biologically - in the contact zone of oak forest and rain forest -- but the water supply is small and rather doubtful. Collected some 40 odd numbers of plants on my way back to camp. An almost complete botanizal change from our 2230 m. Camp. Probably only a few ferns present in both localities. Thanks to the councillor and his dogs, Van now has his much-desired Zaglossus.