Monday 15 June 1955 Top Camp Another busy day at the table. Losima was our star again--2 Melomys, 1 wh.-b. Rattus, & 2 gr.-b. Rattus--out of 12 traps ! I had 1 Melomys & a Rattus & the 3 boys 5 & Kim 1. A total of 15 with David's cuscus. Skinning went well and I started my study skins after lunch. The native cat from yesterday made up very well. He is larger than any of the 14 listed in Shaw Mayer. The 2 flower-flower boys, Jimmy and the 2 bug-bug boys went off on their own collecting trip to the river today. No mammals but Len's boys found a new palm. My three went up to the scrub beyond the Maneau ridge this P.M. to set their traps. Brand new territory. We may have a big catch tomorrow. Elevation about 2430 M.-- 200 M. above this camp and about 3/4 mile N.E. by E. of here. Len wandered around in the A.M. taking black and white pictures including one of myself, David & Isilele hunting for fleas on the cuscus. He spent the P.M. developing the roll. Came out fairly well. Kim took 2 steel traps to put in a Wallaby pad. One of the Melomys today is the largest I have ever seen--just over 300 mm. No word from Ken in some time but we are expecting carriers next Sunday. No jacking tonight. Baited my native cat set again. Fresh baked bread today. Mail may come soon since the district patrol officer is due in Biniguni in a day or so. New moon over the hill tonight, Tuesday 16 June An exciting catch this A.M. but I did not realize it until tonight when I looked at my specimen carefully. Caught a large rat in the same unbaited steel trap that took the Wallaby a few days ago. Looked like Uromys and I let it go at that. Tonightwhile pinning it out I noticed how diff. the tail appeared. Upon checking the skull I immediately found that I had our first specimen of Anisomy s -- a rat with strikingly compressed lower incisors. We also had an assortment of 16 other Rattus and Melomys so I had my 3rd busy day in a row--45 specimens in 3 days. Losima again brought in some good specimens (4). Len went down to the beech forest for the day so Geoff and I had the camp to ourselves--a most pleasant sunny day. We took hot baths in the sun after lunch. David gave G. a haircut and I had my first shave in four days. 2 runners arrived in camp about 10 A.M. from Biniguni with letters from Ken detailing his plans to move us down to 2nd camp. Stores arrived on the "Ruru" at Baiawa on the 10th. Ken is coming up to 2nd camp on Friday with carriers and they will be here on Sat. A.M. to move us out. Boys will bring in all traps tomorrow. That will give me Thurs and Frid. to dry and pack skins and skulls. Jimmy came in at 2:30 with another brown-headed Ring- tail which he found in a tree hole. Maybe tomorrow will be another big day. Runner also brought up a full bottle of rum for Len & Geoff, who have been rationing themselves for days. Also a letter to G. from Ailsa detailing all the Samarai Coronation events. Ken says he is bringing up some more chocolate bars. No outside mail. A beautiful clear cold (first for some time) night with the new moon bright over the hill. No jacking tonight. Wednesday 17 June My other notebook has run out so will continue in my field book. Another good specimen day--13 (1 ring-tail, 3 Melomys, 2 wh.-b. Rattus, 7 gr.-b. Rattus). Makes 58 for lst 4 days of this week. A beautiful clear sunny day following a cold night. Specimens dried well--unpinned a few more. All traps came in today except a few of my steels. Billy came in from frog hunting with a Miniopterus which he found under bark on a tree. And late this P.M. my luck was in again. I had walked up to the top of the hill to watch and photograph the sunset sky behind Goropu, and to try for bats. Crystal clear horizon. Was just about to return to camp when I saw a bat coming along the ridge high and fast. A long but perfect shot gave me another new species for the collection. Do not know