went into liquidation and sold all assets here to Alec Thompson, whose father was general manager. Also has been selling the machinery. A lot of it still at the mine. Later. Learn that the name is Alexander MacArthur Thomson. Ridge crest I was on is 500 feet sea level. Out of the mine this morning Rus took two species of bats, a Hipposideros and a Rhinolophus, the latter collected once before on the island and now believed to be a new addition to the collection. This probably makes 17 species collected by us on Misima. Some of the so-called Rhinolophus and Hipposideros might belong to other genera. Rus knows little about the mammal fauna, although he had a month in which to prepare for the trip. A big day for visitors. All four government officers here this afternoon: McLeod, Teague, Fitzner, and McCollum. Teague and Thomson, plus Ian, here for dinner. Thursday August 9: Strong wind and a few light showers in pre-dawn. Same through day but less rain. SE weather. High seas breaking on the shore reef this afternoon. The government vessel Managuma, with Mrs. McLeod and two small children, and Cottrell-Dormer on board, reported to be sheltering at Tubetubein the Engineer Group, en route Samarai to Misima. Yesterday's social responsibilities kept me from preparing yesterday's plant collection. Had to do it this morning. Then went up the hill behind Narian (used to be Lapipai) village and camp to a scattered hamlet of six houses called Leuna. Only interesting plants were Calophyllum inophyllum, growing a hundred feet or more above the sea, a climbing Lygodium, and a yellow Portulacea collected in the village (not P. oleaceae; very small flowers). Sent the boys out in the afternoon and they brought in only four numbers including Dendrobium undulatum vol. aff., and a ground orchid. Rus and Ian to Kulumalia via Bwagaia to look at the mine again for bats. Observed the ratio os small sp. to big sp. Hipposideros - 9-1, one way or the other. Bill Griffin visited camp in afternoon, accompanied by three schoolboys (who brought a Pacific boa), and stayed for dinner. Later: Bill's name is Grafen (of German descent). Friday August 10: Some showers and much wind last night. Wind and high seas this AM; much moderated this evening. The last two days have been hotter than usual. Spent this morning on an excursion to a neighborhood called Tutubia, just this side og Bwagaole, inland under the mountains, where the half castes live. Some Melaleuca savanna there; also a hundred acres or so of open grassland which may have been savanna originally. Rather heavy soil carrying fragments of white quartz. Grasses of the savanna and open grass area much eaten by the government milch herd; seems to be Themeda triandra? principally; one area of very soft short cropped bluus grass probable Eulalia ; Imperate all through the area. Collected 8-10 associated herbs including Phynchospora rubra; Rixe Bimeleaeuphorbia, Houstonia?, a small white-flowered Breweria?, and a Hypoxis with very short peduncle. Flora as on the Fergusson grasslands except for Eulalia, a small Sataria, the Hypoxis and Breweria?. The Melaleuca appears to be the same form, although on Fergusson it is rather slender and very crooked whereas here it grows into a rather straight thick-boled tree up to 40-50 cm. in diameter. One Rattus ruber caught in traps, by Kim, last night. Jacking yielded nothing. A reputed cave near camp turned out, upon examination by Rus and Lionel, to be too short and light to hold bats. McLeod visited camp in the afternoon. Worried about his wife and family. No one seems to know just where Managuna is at the moment. Thomson here for dinner. A very social camp. Too much so. Thomson served with the New Zealand infantry in Italy in the last war.