NEAR CAMP. I DRESSED & WENT OUT TO SEE IF HE WERE CAUGHT IN MY STEEL TRAP SET. TOOK 3 BOYS WITH ME. SURE ENOUGH A SMALL TAN + WHITE NATIVE DOG WAS CAUGHT BY THE TOES OF A FRONT FOOT. THREW A BURLAP SACK OVER HIM + HE QUIETED IMMEDIATELY. SPRUNG THE TRAP + HE RAN OFF INTO THE WOODS. TOOK BOYS TO SET ALL STEELS ACROSS THE RIVER. MAY BRING THEM FALL IN SOON. THEY HADN'T YIELDED NOTHING AT THIS CAMP. GOOD TRAP NIGHT. YOUNG UROMYS 2 KINDS RATTUS, MELOMYS — 9 SPECIMENS. GEOFF TOOK LOSIMA + BILLY OFF FOR THE DAY TO VISIT THE RAKVA RIVER. FOUND THE RIVER BUT NO CROCS. WHEN I WERE HERE ALL DAY WORKING. UNPINNED SOME BOTTOM CAMP SPECIMENS. SHOT A HISTOSTRISOS IN THE FLYWAY. I FOUND AMONG THE CASURINA TREES, A FEW DAYS AGO, OUT AT 7:30 WITH ISILELE. SHOT AN ANTECHINUS (2ND FOR TRIP) THAT RAN ALONG THE GROUND BESIDE THE BINIGUNI TRACK. A FEW MINUTES LATER I COLLECTED OUR FIRST DACTYLOPSILA (STRIPED POSSUM) FOR THE TRIP. BEAUTIFUL BLACK + WHITE MARKING + A LONG HAIRY TAIL. 3 NEW SPECIES FOR THE DAY. 217 (188) WED. AUG. 5, 1953 148 RIVER CAMP. ONLY 3 RATTUS IN TRAPS. SEVERAL VISITORS WANDERED INTO CAMP FROM BUDUMAGA SOON AFTER BREAKFAST. THEY HAD HEARD THAT WE WERE BUYING SPEARS, BUT THEY WERE TOO LATE — GEOFF HAS ALREADY BOUGHT 3 FOR HIS BROOKLYN APARTMENT! AT THE END OF 1 SPEAR DANGLED A MELOMYS WHICH I BOUGHT FOR A BOX OF MATCHES. ANOTHER MAN HAD A LOVELY FRILLED LIZARD WHICH GEOFF BOUGHT FOR MATCHES + A RAZOR BLADE; ALSO 2 COCONUTS FOR A PIECE OF NEWSPAPER. 2 CARRIERS CAME IN FROM QUAGIRA WITH TACK CLOTHS, A PIGEON (WHICH WE KILLED FOR DINNER) + A NOTE SAYING THAT ALL OF OUR SPECIMENS HAD REACHED THE BAILAWA REST HOUSE SAFELY. HE IS GOING TO THE VILLAGE OF MANEUV TO- DAY; HE & DAVID WILL SLEEP THERE + COLLECT BATS IN A NEARBY CAVE TO- MORROW A.M. + COME OUT TO CAMP ABOUT MID-DAY. ISILELE WALKED INTO CAMP THIS P.M. WITH 3 STEEL TRAPS ON A POLE + A BIG GOANA (HEARD) WITH A FOOT IN EACH TRAP. THE MAMMAL DEPT. IS DOING ITS BEST FOR THE HERP DEPT. KIM CAME BACK WITH A "NATIVE CAT" FROM HIS STEELS — OUR FIRST FOR THE LOCALITY. (16 SPECIES NOW). ISILELE + I HACKED FOR (BINIGUNI TRAIL) 2 HOURS TONIGHT — A MELOMYS IN A PANDANUS WAS OUR ONLY SPECIMEN — ALTHO WE HEARD MANY STIRRINGS IN THE LEAVES. A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND A STARRY NIGHT. WE HAD SCRUB HEN SCRAMBLED EGGS FOR BREAKFAST. 2 EGGS MADE A BIG PLATE + WE HAD EGG SANDWICHES FOR MORNING TEA. EGG IN THE SHEPARD'S PIE FOR LUNCH. GOROPU WAS CLEAR AT VARIOUS TIMES TODAY + THE OUTLINE WAS SHARP AGAINST THE LEMON EVENING SKY.