(333) AK"Ruana"left for Tulagi at II P.M.taking all our mail which is to catch the"Marsina"for Sydney.In this NY will receive full exposition of our financial situation.We have been short of funds since leaving Samarai in July-1929 but I cannot make NY aware of it. Weather continues fine. January 3I Mayr,Eyerdam,and one native ashore early.I remained on board to take the ship alongside the wharf where we filled up with fresh water.I dropped an essential part down into the bilge where anything is unretrievable and spent the rest of the day trying to make a replacement.Unable to use motor.The ship had to be kedged out to an anchor. Hunters returned early.with some subsp.nov.,Zosterops and Myzomela certainly;four other species of wide distribution.Worked on birds at night.Three men from ashore came off to dinner. Weather fine all day;rain and thunder storms from NW during night. February 2 Mayr,Eyerdam,and one native ashore until 3 P.M. I worked on motor finishing rough manufacture of new part. Put up birds from 4 o'clock.New subspecies collected to-day include a representative of the black fantail(Rhipidura)and Domicella;Monarcha menadensis and Myzomela common hereabouts in the lowland forest;the representative of Trichoglossus appears to be smaller on Malaita. AK"Veronica",a govt.ship,arrived at noon.Major Sanders,in charge of police here, on board."Whisky",the headman at the local village,has been consulted about carriers for the latter part of next week. The Major promises his assistance if we have difficulty. Mr.McCrimmon,who cuts local timber here for a livelihood,says the natives on the western slopes of the range inland from Su-u are scattered and quite harmless. Weather fine with some rain during night. February 23 (Sunday) Worked to finish motor in order to start hunting to-morrow. Mr.Aldington,the manager,took the keys of the company's shop to Tulagi with him the other evening,so I could not accomplish what I had hoped to. We visited ashore in the evening. Mainly fine but some showers in the afternoon.Barometer low. February 34 Ashore all day with others.I followed the Kwairiekwa river for some distance and passed through two gardens 3 or 4 miles inland but saw no natives.The terrane is moderately rough covered with forest trees and the usual dense undergrowth;undulating ridges flank the river bottom,rising to 500-800 feet in increasing elevation father on.The Kwairiekwa is a main lead to the big range of mountains;and was used by the trans-Malaita punitive expedition last year.The soil is particularly rich on the hill slopes;noted abundance of reddish clay and some serpentine rock formation. I collected a Micropsitta(subsp.nov.),Grauculus lineatus ,and several small birds,all fairly common.Was unsuccessful in obtaining examples of the two larger species of flycatchers,both undoubtedly new representatives; did not hear any thickheads calling,they are probably at a higher elevation.I met several pigs in the bush which appeared to have strong domestic strain.Obtained some insects and one green lizard. Other collectors returned numerous birds.We worked late preparing them. Some rain during day but fine at night.