31 Days AUGUST 1959 8th Month FAIR, A FEW CLOUDS ON PEAKS. 20 THURSDAY 161-87 MT. OTTO TO GOROKA INJECTED LAST BATCH OF FROGS - 959 FOR OTTO ! 3 SNAKES, 28 LIZARDS, MAMMALS - 129 - 29 SPECIES. FINISHED PACKING AND LOADED ROVER. TO GOROKA BEFORE LUNCH ; UNLOADED AT GOVERNMENT STORES. RUS WEBSTER AT LUNCH WITH US - BACK FROM LEAVE. KEN JAMES LEAVES TOMORROW FOR AUSTRALIA. WORKED ON COLLECTING GEAR DURING P.M. FILLED STORAGE VAT WITH SPECIMENS. ORDERED FOOD AT BUNTINGS FOR MY TRIP TO BENABENA TOMORROW. WROTE ITAY, DICK VANGELDER, WHO'S WHO. JOHN STAYING AT DANNY LEAHY'S PLACE TONIGHT. TOOK TOBRAM 4 TRAPS WITH HIM. MAY HAVE SOME SPECIMENS TOMORROW. DINNER WITH KEN + RUS. DUST. 162-86 FAIR + MILD. COOL WIND BEFORE 21 FRIDAY 233-132 GOROKA TO BENABENA PACKED ROVER + DROVE THE 12 MILES TO DANNY'S PLANTATION. DANNY AWAY SO I HAD PLACE TO MYSELF - 4 BOYS WITH ME. TOBRAM HAD A FEW RATTUS EXULANS + 1 R. RUBER. MADE UP 6 SPECIMENS. FIG TREES IN FRONT YARD. WE SET 4 NETS. TRAPS ALONG BENABENA RIVER - A SHALLOW FAST-RUNNING STREAM OVER A WIDE BED OF SMALL STONES + SAND, LOW CLIFFS ON SOUTH SIDE. SAW ONLY 1 SMALL BAT AT DUSK. JACKING THRU PLANTATION TO ANOTHER GROVE OF FIGS. SAW A BOBSONIA + SYCONYCTERIS. SHOT A R. EXULANS OUT OF A FLEAS. HOME TO FIND A ROUSETTUS IN NET ! MOST UNEXPECTED. NIGHT COOL - AS LOW AS 62°F. FAIR + DRY, HEAVY CUMULUS. 22 SATURDAY 163-95-14 BENABENA TO GOROKA UP SEVERAL TIMES DURING NIGHT TO CHECK NETS. NOTHING ELSE CAME IN. 1 R. RUBER + THE USUAL LOT OF EXULANS IN TRAPS - MADE UP ANOTHER 6 SPECIMENS. A WARM DAY JUST AS BOYS WENT DOWN TO RIVER AT 1:30 LEN + JOHN ARRIVED. AFTER EATING WE PACKED + LEFT FOR GOROKA. AS WE PASSED A GRASS FIRE LEN SAW NATIVE WITH A BANDICOOT. STOPPED + I BOUGHT THE HEAD - AN ECCHYMIPERA SAME AS AT OOMSIS, GURAHOR + BULULO. UNPINNED SKINS. DINNER WITH RUS WEBSTER. FAIR BUT HIGH HEAVY CLOUD 23 SUNDAY 164-84-14 GOROKA WRAPPED SPECIMENS WHICH I DRIED AT BENABENA. A LAZY MORNING. RUS WEBSTER INVITED SISTER BEDELIA MULCAHY, WHOM WE KNEW IN SAMARAI, FOR LUNCH. TALKED UNTIL 4: P.M. WROTE MIMI + HOBY, MOLLY SPILLER, RALPH BERG + JOHN WOMERSLEY. JOHN MAY COME TO GOND. ASKED HIM TO BRING STEEL TRAPS. SUPPER WITH RUS. HUNTED FROGS. TO BED EARLY.