to catch the steamer, perhaps, at Tetepari, sending instructions for our cargo to be sent to Tulagi, but the Matasan do not call this trip. It is best that we go to gigs since we have so much cargo to look after and business to check with the resident B.P.'s. When I returned Hicks and George presented them selves for an interview, stating that they wanted to leave. However Hicks says he would like to return in six months time. May 21—Hicks, David, and I left for camp for the rest of the week. Two of the boys came to help carry the Kai-Kai and gear. We followed a river bed, climbing over slippery stones, until it became too steep, and then cut our way up a ridge. We could only reach 1900 feet since there is no water higher. Pitched camp and while Hicks and David went after water and straightened things out I rambled about and collected a few birds. May 22. We climbed to over 3000 on the same ridge, occasionally fol- lowing pig trails. David got a yellow bit dove—female, and I, ano- ther of the same. Thickbeads, are more plentiful up here than lower down; the rest of the avifauna is the same. Evidently we are too high for the dark kingfisher which we have heard. David report see- ing a small flock of the long-tailed, black-winged pyjors (the type so common on Bongaville). The great drawback about camping is the comparative slowness with which the stuff comes in. We have crought one of the Magine lights with us, so we can skin at night. May 23. Heavy rain in showers intermittent from noon on. This is the greatest drawback—the damn weather. He put up a few birds anyway. I missed a fine eagle-hawk, a propriety I seen to have; he was on the wing but close up. I have been "greasing" Hicks plenty during the evenings about returning after his six months leave, May 24. The rain yesterday gives us water sufficient for the stay. until it came we carried about ½ mile from the stream. We put in some good work to-day but I missed another eagle hawk on the wing. We should be getting more rare stuff since we are well up around 3000 feet every day; evidently we have not struck a good feeding area, for the fruit-eaters at any rate; for the insectivorous birds it makes little differ-