9th Month SEPTEMBER 1959 30 Days FAIR A.M., CLOUDY P.M. SHOWERS 7 MONDAY 250-115 MT. MICHAEL - BEECH CAMP ONLY 2 R. NIIGE IN OUR REDUCED TRAP LINES. WHILE WE WERE AWAY LIR LIR TOOK 4 SYCONYCTERIS FROM OUR BIG NET + ALSO SKINNED 3 RATTUS + 1 MELOMYS. ALL TIRED TODAY BUT WE WORKED THRU ALL OUR SPECIMENS, JOHN W., JOHN C., AND I WALKED UP ROAD FOR PHOTOS OF MT. M. + THEN DROVE DOWN THE ROAD FOR ANOTHER ASPECT. ROCK PEAK DOES NOT AMOUNT TO MUCH FROM BELOW. JACK RITTEN (P.O. LUF A) STOPPED FOR TEA. PETER ROBINSON (VET-GOVT. GOROKA) STOPPED ON WAY TO BEN WERTZ'S. JOHN, LIR LIR, + TOBRAM SET 24 STEEL TRAPS ALONG BIG MT. BROCK NEAR CLEAN LAUGHLIN'S HOME. NO JACKING TONIGHT. LETTER FROM GRACE MCLANE; ROBERT MARRIED. JOHN'S 4 RHODODEBRON BUDS STARTED TO OPEN TODAY. VERY FRAGRANT - CARNATION SMELL. BOUGHT BAMBOO PIPE ('MAMBO'). 180-68 8 TUESDAY MT. MICHAEL THIS IS THE DAY I BECAME A GRANDFATHER! (AS I LEARNED ON THE 11TH). A DAUGHTER, HEATHER - 8 LBS. 2 OZ. ALL WELL! TOBRAM HAD A HYDROMYS IN FIRST TRAP BELOW BRIDGE - OUR 2ND RECORD FOR THE HIGHLANDS - SHAW MAYER HAD NONE. ALSO A FINE SANDY MELOMYS - SAME AS WAS BROUGHT TO US ON MT. WILHELM FROM BELOW. SMALL BOYS BRINGING IN FROGS ALL DAY LONG 181-67 9 WEDNESDAY 252-113 MT. MICHAEL JOHN WOMERSLEY LEFT FOR GOROKA EARLY THIS A.M. WITH JOHN. IN P.M. JOHN ARRIVED BACK AT CAMP WITH A DR. MORRIS RAPSON (+ SON PHILIP -13) FROM PT. MORESBY - HEAD OF FISHERIES SECTION OF DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE, STOCK + FISHERIES. HAD JUST COME FROM 4 DAYS ON MT. WILHELM. MEASURED DEPTHS OF 2 LAKES (P- 27 FATHOMS, A.-12 F.) TEMPERATURE OF WATER 53°-57°F. DID NOT CLIMB MOUNTAIN. TONIGHT ONE OF BEST MAMMALS OF TRIP CAME IN - OTOMOPS. FOR SEVERAL NIGHTS JOHN + I HAVE BEEN WATCHING A HIGH-FLYING (100+ FT.), STRAIGHT-FLYING BAT THAT COMES OUT OF THE FOREST JUST OPPOSITE CAMP. JOHN PICKED HIM OFF WITH HIS FIRST SHOT. I SUSPECTED OUR BAT WAS A FREE-THIL BUT NEVER EXPECTED OTOMOPS! 5TH KNOWN SPECIMEN OF O. SECUNDUS