January 6th. Hamlin's day on the mountain. The septic poisoning which is so common on these islands with little wounds and scratches has set in upon us. There seems little to be done with these afflictions. Most of the standard ointments and treatments such as "Scarlet R", bismuth and boric acid, and bichloride of mercury solution are very valuable as temporary disinfectants and as agents for retarding wider infection. None of them, however, appear to act as curatives in any degree and in their best offices are forced to permit the poisoning to run its natural course. Some of ours have already taken two months to heal. It is a matter of divided opinion as to whether or not they are the primary condition of the tropical ulcer. Certainly they are very likely to run into them, and , indeed, act similarly to them. They affect a gradually ascending crim- son discoloration around the center of infection culminat- ing after a few days in a slow pussy discharge. The bacteria seem to be active and vicious for the infections, and in a rather short time result in deep craters. In healing they leave, as do the tropical ulcers, a dark purple scar. We have decided to omit a Saturday trip to the mountain in order to have no birds to work on on Sunday. It is necessary to have one day a week free if for nothing else than a shave. Dr. Drowne and I spent the day in running out the birds shot yesterday. In the evening Hamlin returned with twenty-three birds and report of another rainy day on the mountain top. He likewise had the misfortune to go the whole day without