26.) yams, plantanes, and sweet corn, a remarkable product. The last- named is the first Mr. Beck has encountered in the islands; evi- dently introduced by a missionary. There are very few natives up in the bush and such provident husbandry is not typical of the salt-water man. October 20 Five of us ashore resulting in about two dozen birds. Mr. Beck went to the top of Kela bringing in a new variety of thickhead and one yellow-bib dove. I went up about 1000 feet and secured six birds, one a new and interesting kind of black- head, marked with brown, and a pigmy parrot. Mr. Beck anticipates much good material here. Hicks shot two of the little river king- fishers and G.R. one. White-eyes are proving difficult to get, they move about so lively and when shot very hard to find. For the lat- ter a native is especially helpful in the bush. Doctor went to the top of the ridge and brought down among many specimens a new snake; also a very interesting exhibit of native twine made from the liana vine. The young plant is stripped of its bark and the hemp-like fibre combed out; this is twisted into cord that is used for fishing principally. For anything ordinary the native uses raw green vine, making an excellent bundle out of large leaves. This he uses to carry anything perishable. By an extenuated demon- stration the Doctor managed to communicate the idea of possum to one of the boys who savvied immediately and declared that "plenty he stop along bush". He and his mates were admonished to catch as many as possible. The expedition has already sent some specimens to the Museum, so my enthusiastic intentions about bag- ging the rare marsupial for Dr. Raven have already been fulfilled. Out they came after kai to trade vegetables, fruit, tortoise shell, and some curios, as ethnological articles are popularly termed. G.R. brought out everything he had to offer and was really dramatic in his business of barter. The men are of the salt-water with a 7-Day Advent froth. Most of them ignore the taboos of the order, using tobacco and betel nut freely. They are very dark-skinned and small of stature; not as many as usual showed scars from tinea and other skin afflictions. This particular village has a reputa- tion among the nearby whites for industry and health, most of it taught them by the missionary. Such things as seed corn are cer- tainly introduced by the white man. The meris and pickininnies of missionized settlements are not inclined to run for cover when approached by a white person as is characteristic of the more ab- original natives. A wreath of amazed black faces framed the hatch of the hold while we were skinning; no doubt many of the more sophisticated understand when we tell them that America like to look along pidgin that stop on the Solomons. But the majority think us quite "cranky" (nutty) and therefore treat us with delicate con- sideration. October 21 A day not tobe soon forgotten. Reached the top of Kela about noon where birds were plentiful, but I missed more easy shots than ever before. Took two thickheads and a pair of female bald fly- catchers finally. The climb near the top is rough, thickly wooded and serrated with small ridges that eventually lead up to the main ridge where the trail is located that goes to the bottom. I got off completely on the way down chasing little kingfishers of which I secured two in a small tributary drainage. Spent a half hour looking for the last one and then found myself completely lost after finding it. By this time it was too dark to undertake a systematic recovery of the trail, so I came down with the drain- age, sliding and scraping over rocks and boulders. I described some splendid arcs and came to halt on a large flat rock upon which