#15 202. (173) Tues. 21 July 1953 163 Bottom Camp: Happy 17th Birthday "Mary"! Hope you are having a fine celebration at our Wentworth Farm. Can hardly believe you are so grown up! We'll try to give you many more happy years, almost. Blanked today - David had a young & native set in trap. About 12 on Len's boys brought in a live bandicoot on a pole (had lost its tail). Ken left for Biniguni in A.M. taking mail with him. He sent 2 carriers up to camp this P.M. with extra meat. They took my knockdown box full at Mittle Camp specimens down with them. Sunny A.M. But threatened rain all P.M. A leisurely day - shave & bath. Going bat shooting now Hope to get my tooth. Specimen. Ticked a Hipposideros but, after hanging up for a few seconds in small tree, flew away. Collected a banded tail gecko for Geoff - 2 species now. Found a wild fig tree where Macroglissus was feeding. Kept firing at them until all shells gone. The day ended at 999. Will try again tomorrow night. 203. (174) Wed. 22 July 162 Bottom Camp: David had a native cat in rat trap! 3 Rattus also came in. Look specimens. 4 months to the day after the start at Menappi. A fine sunny A.M. Took picture of Geoff at his work bench, tone of trees + sky. Heavy overcast all P.M. Moon out tonight. Moved my steel traps + 10 M.S.P. to location uphill. Spent 3 hours in the dry streambed trying to collect small blossom bat. Finally coll. 1 but he is badly shot up. Back in camp I found a huge flying fox that David had collected. Have never seen such a monster. Now have 19 species for this camp but only 38 specimens. Kim gave us a new dish for lunch - Sausage rolls - excellent. A troop of hornbills (7) flew over camp in A.M. Their wings make a tremendous whirring. Had a yellow-bellied shink in trap. Shot another gecko tonight + coll. 2 tiny frogs. 204. (175) Thurs. 23 July 161 Bottom Camp: Had a bandicoot in my new meat set. 2 Rattus + 2 Pogonorymys also came in - the latter found in small holes high in large trees. Flower-flower boy, Nito, 1 + David who had a giant bat hung up in big tree, the other. A good day for this camp. Both bats measured over 5 feet in wingspread (5'4" + 5'6") - large heads with small ears + big eyes. Body fur yellowish-brown - muzzle covered with a greenish pollen. Took pictures of boys & myself holding bats to show span. Spell from hacking. Short heavy rain before supper. Geoff