-96- Was disturbed last night by scrub itch and the troubles of dog[illegible]. The red scourge of the forest has become active after the rain of a couple of days ago. About 3 A.M. I was awakened from troubled sleep by the barking and yelping of a dog (New Guinea dogs do not howl). Concluded it was a prowler from the village caught in a steel trap and called Van. He roused his boys and sallied into the forest, enveloped the captive in a copra sack, and freed it from the trap. Our steel traps are smooth jawed and the dog's foot was not badly hurt. Suspended rat bodies were the lure. Geoff today made an excursion to the Rakua River via Biniguni and Budmag. Distance there and back by native trails about 6 miles. A good evening for Van. Three firsts for the mammal collection: a horseshoe bat (Hipposideros) shot on the wing, Dactylopsila and a strange-looking Antechinus(?) got by jacklight. Wednesday, August 5, 1953: Max. 33, Min. 16.5 C. Relative humidity, clear sky: 6:30 A.M. 91%; 1 P.M. 54%, 6 P.M. 84%. Clear day, unpleasantly hot about 2-3 P.M. with changeable light breeze both ways along river. Goropu clear all day. The sappier herbaceous plants wilting in the forest shade. A big bulk of plant material collected toward the Ginum and (by the boys) in (small ? poor copy) growths just across the river. The only species I consider "good" is a Bignoniaceous liana with palmately divided leaves and big purplish flowers (aff. Tecoma) Big lianas are a characteristic feature of these primary forests. Rain forest usually has a more or less unbroken and continuous canopy in which the big lianas spread their branches. Here the larger trees are spaced in an open stand and the lianas, being unable to reach from tree to tree, form columns of dense foliage enveloping the upper trunks and lower branches of the forest giants. Our first breakfast eggs in 3 months. Two big brown megapode eggs bought yesterday from a native for a box of matches, after a water test, and scrambled by the cook. They tasted mostly of the goop Kim mixed with them. From Kwagira two carriers arrived with empty load covers, a bundle of formalin material I left at Baiawa 11 weeks ago, and a note from Ken saying all is well with collections transported to Baiawa. He is returning via Maneau Village and should be here tomorrow. Thursday, August 6, 1953: Max. 32.5; Min. 17 C. Relative humidity 6:30 A.M. 84%. Clouds low over the escarpment this evening after a hot, clear day. Had a good morning down the river about 1/2 mile in tall rain forest developed on old alluvial soil. Pleasant not to have to watch every step as on the bouldery ground of the camp area and a 1/2 mile or so to the east. The author of "Worlds Asunder" would be intrigued with the recent geological history of this area. My present idea of it is that within the last 100 years, the Gwariu Gorge was blocked by a landslide. Upon the breaking of the dam several square miles of country hereabouts was devastated by flood and covered with boulders. Ken returned from Baiawa and Kwagira via Maneau Village. Followed Etoi Creek from near Kwagira to Maneau. Reports that Maneau is on limestone country which extends this way to about Awani Village. Good brown soil carrying fine closed forest in which Helaga is a prominent tree.