Mr. Beck brought the conspicuous red fruit of the plant with purple buds and long red-purple stamens, previously collected. Caught a kingfisher Hippobos[cid in evening in my hair. Tuesday, September 23, 1924. Vanua Mbalava, Central. Up anchor at 5:30 and across narrow strait to Mavana village, which nestles at the foot of Mt. Mbasanga, 930 feet high. Anchored in the bay at 6:15 and ashore at 6:45. The village is a small one, but boasts a very superior cement church. Over the ridge to the west of the village, following a well trod trail to a large cultivated area in a valley running well up into the mountain mass. The gardens are planted to yams, sweet potatoes, manioc, bananas, papayas, etc. and there are several small groves of coconuts, even well up on the summit of the peak. Plenty of butterflies, moths, grasshoppers, wasps and even an ant lion here, but a heavy shower put a temporary end to collecting. A high ridge running north from the main peak is underlain by coral bedded sandstone. Took a sample from an outcrop which was nearly horizontal, dipping slightly to the N.E. on the northeast side of the ridge. Another out- crop had a more pronounced dip, of about 5°, to the N.E. The slopes were covered with a moderately thick stand of the familiar lowland trees, with ferns and piper underneath. On the upper slopes of the main peak the forest became really luxurious with large tree ferns, some 7 to 8 meters high, with large trunks and wide spread fronds. The summit rounded and rocky with open forest. Just east of the summit there was an outcrop of limestone. Several small clumps of coconuts near sum- mit. Large red ants in dead limb. A few landshells. Worked S.E. along backbone ridge, which slopes down from the summit to