-125- peak, which I had not seen before, peeped out artially from en- veloping cumulus cloud coming up from the NW. From the highest parts of the spur we saw Vivigani air strip and Malsuna anchorage on the east coast; the range crest tailing off toward the south end of the island; perhaps Mud Bay; heights on Ferguson Island; and mountains on the mainland. Sky very hazy and distant views dim. Could not see the west coast. Collected some good plants on the way back, the most exciting being an antarctic beech (Nothofagus). Only three trees of this seen in the low forest of the highest point of the spur; the trees not in fruit and only young female flowers found. On the central peaks are dark forests of some coniferous tree, probably Podocarpus of the Compacta group. Scattered trees of this on the range crest this side of the peaks, but none where we were. The highest (8350 ft.) peak - "Timbertop" - is partly dark conifer-forested, partly grassland. No forest on the three peaks to the east of it; some on or next the top of the NW peak. A very satisfying day. Sunday, October 11, 1953: Clear crisp morning; minimum 10 C. (= 50 F.). Cloudy after 10 A.M.; light showers at noon and between 5 and 5:30 P.M. Clear tonight. Botanized in the bed of the creek with the long name. Very moist, mossy conditions. Actual stream up to about 10 ft. wide; bottom rocky; gradient moderate, flora not as rich as I hoped. General similarity to the Maneau flora of like altitude; some plants seemingly identical; most specifically different. For 150 traps out last night Van had nothing. No mammals have been got by jacking - in 3 nights only one shot fired, at a small bat. Ken is beginning to show real interest in the collection of frogs and insects. Has about a dozen species of frogs so far. Following ideas in Alice Grey's hints to collectors of insects, he has made a sugar trap, and on sheep country experience in Queensland he has devised a trap for the blowflies which have laid eggs on his blankets. Van has been collecting birds for the past two days and has specimens of two ferns (Pachycephala and Myzomela) previously known from single collections. Today a hunting man and his dog arrived from Garuwata. He carried for us on Wednesday and claims to have caught 5 wallabies on his way home. Asked if he would like someone to go with him tomorrow, he declined, unless he killed too many wallabies and their weight was too much for him to carry in. All told, we had fully a dozen visitors this afternoon, men and women from Garuwata, bring yams, taro, sweet potatoes, pump- kins, sugar cane and bananas to trade for salt. One wanted news- paper, another flashlight batteries. They climbed 2500 ft. with their produce.