2.45 (216) WED. SEPT. 2, 1953 [illegible] PERIA RIVER. MADE UP THE OWL WHICH BOBBY BROUGHT HOME FROM JACKING LAST NIGHT — MY FIRST OWL SINCE 1945. WENT FAIRLY WELL. IN STOMACH I FOUND THE COMPLETE, UNDAMAGED HEAD OF A RATTUS. IT CLEANED UP PERFECTLY! TIM HAD 3 RATTUS IN TRAPS (ALSO A LARGE GOANA) FOR OUR ONLY MAMMALS OF THE DAY. WE CUT THE DACTYLOPSILA TREES — FOUND A HOLE LINED WITH FRESH LEAVES, BUT NO ANIMALS EXCEPT 2 FIVE INCH GRUBS. KEN MADE UP A COUPLE OF RATS TODAY. HE IS IMPROVING. WRAPPED MORE SKINS TODAY AND PACKED A BLACK BOX FULL — MAY HAVE YET ANOTHER BOX BY NEXT MONDAY. THEY LEAVE TOMORROW FOR BALAWA WITH A FEW LOADS FROM HERE + 3 BAYAW CARRIERS WILL COME UP TO KWAGIRA FOR LOADS LEFT IN REST HOUSE SEVERAL DAYS AGO. JACKING TONIGHT: KEN SHOT A DOBSONIA; I MISSED A SMALL RAT (MELOMYS?) — WE ARE WAITING FOR LILIK TO COME IN — WE HEARD HIM FIRE 5 SHOTS. FISH + PIGEON FOR DINNER (THE FISH WERE ONLY 12" LONG — LITTLE!). DAVID + TAMMY WENT TO BALAWA TODAY. WILL AWAIT US THERE. GEOF IS FLIGHTING HERE IN THE FLY, STARTING TO READ HIS DETECTIVE STORY IS OVER, FOR THE SECOND TIME. HE IS HARD UP FOR CIVILIZATION! BOYS WERE DRUMMING A MENARPI DANCE TONIGHT. 246 (219) THURS. SEPT. 3. [illegible] PERIA RIVER, 2:30 P.M. — FOR THE FIRST TIME IN WEEKS I HAVE NOTHING TO DO. A BLUE SKY DAY WITH A COOLING BREEZE. IT IS SPRING HERE IN THE RAINFOREST. MANY TREES ARE LEAFING OUT — NOT THAT THEY WERE LEAFLESS — THEY LOSE A FEW AT A TIME. BUTTERFLIES ARE EVERYWHERE. THE BIRDS OF PARADISE ARE QUIET FOR A LITTLE WHILE. IT’S JUST LIKE AN EARLY SEPT. DAY ON THE FARM. EVEN THE CRICKETS ARE CALLING. KEN’S CARRIERS SHOWED UP EARLY — MY SPECIMENS + LAST AMMO BOX DISAPPEARED DOWN THE TRAIL TO THE COAST VIA KWAGIRA. MADE UP DOBSONIA. NOTHING IN TRAPS. LILIK WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL LAST NIGHT. KEN COLLECTED HIS LAST BIG BATCH OF PLANTS — HE IS HAVING A HARD TIME FINDING MUCH THAT IS NEW. WE HAVE SPENT TOO MUCH TIME HERE, BUT CARRIER TRANSPORT: OUR LOAD OF EQUIPMENT TIES US DOWN. TIM FOUND AN OLD HOLLOW TREE WITH POSSUM SCRATCHES. WE CUT IT DOWN + SMOKED IT, BUT NO EYECUS. CARRIERS BACK AT 4:30 P.M. NOTE FROM KEN SAYING CARRY WENT WELL. AT NOON HE WAS AT MAIBIRI WAITING FOR TIDE TO RISE SO CANOES WITH GEAR COULD GET OUT OF THE RIVER INTO BAY, 9:38. JUST BROUGHT HOME THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CARPET SNAKE I HAVE EVER SEEN. 10'2" LONG. FOUND 80 MAMMALS. LILIK JUMPED A WALLABY. BROUGHT HOME SNAKE TOO.