Apparently a strong endemic element, also a considerable number of species which I also collected on Misima (white-flowered Proteaceae, Symplocos, Nepenthes mirabilis (without mousey odor). Found on the grasslands a Velloia (Goodeniaceae) a genus I have only once collected hitherto in New Guinea - west of the Fly River. Picked up the fruit of a winged dipterocarp which I could not otherwise discover. Different from the tree of the Misima mountains (fruit much smaller). Monday August 20: A scud of rain at dawn (5:45); others through the morning. No drizzle in afternoon; Rus had his mammal trays on an outside drying rack. Lionel at last has left for the mountains. Got away at 7:15 with 3 carriers, 2 spares to cut track, and the councillor as guide. Probably he will strike wet weather above about 1500 feet. The SE continues, piling clouds on the mountains. A backlog of plants which I did not have time to prepare yesterday, kept me in camp until nearly 8 o'clock. Then went along the coast, west, for rather better than 2 miles. Collected 17 numbers; some of them still on hand, as I have run out of driers. This seldom happens. Have averaged 16 numbers a day for the camp. Not bad for an area largely deforested and occupied by migrant grasses and associated herbs few in number. An unexpected find was an Antidesma (probably A. ghaesebphila) which I don't remember seeing this side of the Port Moresby Grasslands (it grew on greasy edges of the mangroves). Nothing in traps last night, although one or two new lines were in operation. Last night Rus jacked a Dobsonia and a small Pteropus. Six Nyctinene were caught in a net set at a fruiting Janbose tree within a few feet of the resthouse we live in. Today Tubula and Simp Sipoma brought in 5 Pogonomyes out from trees, and VC Bon contributed two more. This Pogonomyes is a beast very different from those we got in the D'Entrecasteaux. Has a skull squarish on top, and three lines of cusps. Our Glossiagos give evidence of being happy on Sudest. They have been singing for hours in their quarters this evening. Tuesday August 21: No rain in the 24 hours. Mountains (Riu) clear till at least midday. Natives are burning the grass again after the rain. Botanical project of the day was the collection of the tree from which the "gum" of the island is collected for export. Had VC Bon as guide. Came upon the trees in primary rain forest of the little valley of Vulamitu stream, about 2 miles inland and altitude of 400-500 ft. Vatica sp., probably papuana, called Guimbur by the natives. This produces a reddish gum (so described by Bon) which is the chief product sold. A whitish gum (no doubt a resin) is obtained in small quantity from a dipterocarp with winged fruit, called Walei (said by Bon to be called Rul on Misima) which occurred abundantly in ridge forest further inland. This dipterocarp as plentiful or more so than any other tree in the forest of the ridges, which have only fair timber volume. A common larger tree is the Syzygium I collected on Sunday. The Vatica where I saw it was the commonest canopy but small (about 20-25 m tall x 30-40 cm dia.). Rus, with a guide and two or three hangers-on from Erinamoa village, made a 7-hour excursion to a mine tunnel much farther S or SW said to have been made by one Henning. A well dug tunnel, according to Rus, which went in a long way, but could not be entered far because of deep mud and water. Literally thousands of bats flew out when a shot was fired into the tunnel. All Miniopterus, but in two sizes and probably two species. About 30 collected with switches outside the tunnel.