(16) September 11 Left washing with a Chinaman.In the afternoon both of us started out armed with cyanide bottles and nets to try our luck with the insect kingdom of Florida Island.G.R.came back just before the rainstorm with specimens and I came back just after the rainstorm with specimens.Apparently these moonlight nights are too bright for Sphingadae;this is the second venture that has proved unsuccessful. Mr.Tait,the recruiter,and Mr.Johnson,the only man in the islands who owns an ice-plant(usually not functioning), visited the hotel and spun yarns until a late hour. September 12 Breezes keep us cool and comfortable.The reality of Tulagi is a paradise compared to the preconceived idea we had of it.No evidence of mosquitoes yet;the sleeping is great. In the morning we went over to Makambo to get our refunds from B P on our passage money.All the gentry of the place are busy sitting at court.Mr. Mckaye,B P's dock man is a motion picture enthusiast and intends taking 5000 feet of native life on the Solomons.Both G.R.and I collected in the afternoon.It is well to take things easy at first so that we can work up to the all day pull of the expedition.The bush is very interesting to the newcomer.We hope to send a shipment of insects to the Museum before the"France"comes in.She is still reported off Cape Marsh somewhere.It is against the law for us to touch any guns before we see Mr.Beck and secure permits. Mr.Johnson's ice-plant is actually in operation. September 13 Clean clothes and a bottle of iced beer from the butcher were the gleanings of the morning.The merchants in Tulagi(Carpenter,B P,etc.,)are only too willing to give us boxes for packing insects.We shall start going out twice a day soon;Mr.Johnson is going to take us on an expedition to the mainland of Florida Island.The part that Tulagi is on lies just across a little spit.Ngela is the native name for Florida.Reptiles are supposed to be well represented,lizards and guanoes. The possum here is called kandoro by native. We have decided not to have malaria;it is more convenient.No doses of quinine yet.They have a remedy here called Smalarina,an Italian product which is supposed to impart immunity to the taker if it is consumed with intermittent doses of quinine.Anyway this is one of the seasons when the disease is latent- Spring.Apparently the worst things in the way of affliction,acquired by methods both subtle and blatant,are the island sore and the centipede bite.The latter come out of their haunts in the evening-"the arrow that flieth by night".On this particular occasion we saw three of the brutes;one of the boys was bitten on the toe. We collected with some success all afternoon.The Sphingadae are still in the ground;rain will probably bring them out September 14 Collected a bit in the morning after packing the results of our previous experiments.According to the natives, insect life on Florida(Ngela)is not nearly as prolific as on Guadalcanal(Solomon)andthe larger islands.G.R.could not venture forth to-day having broken the shaft of his net."Tom"Elk-