(20) after lunch with three of his boys.We tracked about three mile up to the top of a hill where we found a village.Here,one boy offered to take me where there were"plenty pidgin good fella", but the hour was too near kai kai time to go on.I saw over a dozen birds of about six species and had shots at four which took no effect.I am sure the shells used were defective in their charge.I have the usual difficulty of the beginner in seeing the birds when they can be heard.Mr.Beck wants speci- mens of a ground cuckoo and white headed pigeon.Both have been heard but not yet seen. September 27 Three of us went over to Florida,G.R.and"Tom"Elk- ington and had a dozen shots and very little luck- one black bird with yellow markings on the eyes and white stripes on the wings,quite common and a large eagle.Came across natives kai- kaiing a possum.Played bridge with Scrimigour and Heritage in evening and returned at midnight to skin the specimens. The practice acquired is about all they are worth. September 28 Collected with poor success on this little island of Tulagi.G.R.shot a parrot and a little swift.Both of us are fed up with this waiting. September 29 Collected on Florida returning six birds,four of which we skinned,giving two parrots to the boys to kai kai.A honey-eater,two warblers,and a large greenish blue bird,an in- sect-eater of some kind.We had two shots at the white-headed pigeon that Mr.Beck requires.We are working with .410 shot, which does not carry too well and is much too heavy. September 30 Heavy rain nearly all day with a shifting of wind. First indications of Spring in the Solomons.No venturing into the field to-day.G.R.read Schopenhauer,a great day for it.I tried developing some films in the evening.Captain Tate indi- cates that he will push off on the 3rd of October whether he gets word of his appointment or not.This inconvenience will not delay the expedition,I hope,since they can work around the Gizo district;we deserve the wait and an ugly passage up for our mistake in not going up on the steamer. October 1 Rain continued through the morning but allowed us to go out in the afternoon wherein we did very poorly.Took dinner with Lt.Commander Cruikshank of the Ranandi and his wife.He assured us that Tate would get us to Gizo by the 7th or 8th. October 2 Mr.Mackay of B P expected to take us on a day's trek this morning but the usual rain prevented.It stopped about ten o'clock having gone 259 inches in three days.I went out for a couple of hours before lunch on the small island and missed a few beautiful shots;also killed a little black bird with a red breast and could not find it.Both of us went to Florida later, taking the longest walk yet and having the worst luck.Bridge with Messrs.Heritage and Scrimigour in the evening both of whom said we were overdoing it by rowing a dinghy across to N'gela in the sun and followed with a long and lugubrious but