163 FRI. 12 JUNE 1953 202 TOP CAMP. A LONG DAY AT THE SKINNING TABLE: 6 POGONOMYS, 1 MELOMYS, 1 WH-B. RATTUS, 1 UROMYS, 6 GR-B. RATTUS. LIM-LIK WAS BACK ON THE JOB SO THE SKINNING WENT VERY QUICKLY. ALL SKULLS CLEANED BY NOON. ALL MADE UP BY 4;P.M. ONE OF MY CON- CEALED STEEL TRAPS CAUGHT A SCRUB HEN (MEGARODE); IF IT HAD NOT BROKEN ITS LEG, I WOULD HAVE RELEASED IT. SAVED THE HEAD, 1 LEG + 1 WING; GAVE THE REST TO KIM WHO MADE A FINE STEW FOR LUNCH. TIMMY SHOT A LARGE PIGEON IN A.M. + WE HAD ANOTHER STEW TONIGHT POOR GEOFF DOESN'T THINK MUCH OF OUR GAME DIET. SHOWERED OFF + ON TODAY BUT CLEARED TONIGHT. WOODS WERE WET FOR FICKING BUT THERE WAS LOTS OF ACTIVITY IN THE WILD FIG TREES. HEARD A NUMBER OF GIANT RATS BUT SAW NONE. NOTHING COLLECTED TODAY BY BOYS. LEN HURT HIS SHOULDER A FEW DAYS AGO + HE IS SOMEWHAT HANDI- CAPPED IN HIS FIELD COLLECTING. HOWEVER, HIS BOYS GO OUT + USUALLY BRING IN SOME GOOD MATERIAL. ONE FOUND 3 NEW FERNS - IT SEEMS AS IF THERE IS NO END OF THEM. GEOFF IS GETTING VERY RESTLESS UP HERE. HE IS COLLECTING VERY LITTLE + IS ANXIOUS TO GET TO THE LOWER CAMPS WHERE HE WILL HAVE MORE MATERIAL TO WORK ON. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT HE REALIZES THAT THESE MOUNTAIN SPECIMENS ARE MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE LOWLAND ONES. THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF MICRO STUFF HERE BUT ITS COLLECTING DEMANDS SPECIAL TECHNIQUE AND A GOOD PAIR OF EYES. HE COULD STAY WITHIN A FEW YARDS OF CAMP + MAKE A FINE COLLECTION; INSTEAD HE TRAMPS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY + FINDS VERY LITTLE. I AM NOT SATISFIED THAT I HAVE ALL THE POSSIBLE MAMMALS (THERE ARE CERTAINLY MORE BATS) THAT LIVE HERE. BUT THEN IT SOMETIMES TAKES MONTHS TO CATCH ON TO THE HABITS OF THE RARER ANIMALS. WE HAVE REALLY BEEN VERY LUCKY IN OUR CATCHES. 11 P.M. A FAIRLY WARM NIGHT.