Sunday 28 June 1953 Middle Camp A quiet rainy day in camp. 1 Rattus & 1 Melomys were the catch. Made up a few ring-tail skins from Saturday's catch. The runner went off with our mail after breakfast. He will turn it over to the Baniara policeman at Biniguni. Len and Geoff get real service here in camp. Niko comes in about 6:15 each morning with hot tea and bread & jam. How people can eat when they are still half asleep is beyond me. And then we have breakfast at 7:15. They also have morning and afternoon tea--with sandwiches. But I am the one who cleans the plates at meal times. Bat shooting at dusk but my eye was off. David was out scouring the woods in the P.M. & found 1 brown-headed ring-tail. I shot at the trail-flying bat that I have been trying to collect for a week. Nothing in bat net except a bird. A wonderful apricot pie for dinner. Kim certainly knows the secret of crust. Monday 29 June Did not wake up until 6:30 this A.M. A tail-less Melomys, 4 Rattus and another Lorentzomys--this one from David's trap line. A day of sun & showers. Checked all flat skins--some are nearly dry, but we need one good sunny day. Gave boys a few more traps. Now that the larger material is slack off we will go for small mammals. No sign of another native hunter with dogs. Now have a few over 100 traps out. Stars were bright for a few minutes early this evening but the night has been wet & a gusty wind is in the tree tops. Did not go jacking. Instead I went after one of the numerous species of frogs that sound off on damp nights. Caught one--a peeper--here in camp clearing. Geoff sent his boys frog hunting, too. Total catch--0. It's not too easy to locate these tree frogs. 4 numbers of "Time" (Pacific edition) came in with mail and we have been boning up on April & May news. Rice pudding with golden syrup tonight. Tuesday 30 June LikLik hit the jackpot this A.M. with a new Mammal for the mountain--an Antechinus (no dorsal stripe & orange patches behind the ears). What I called Antechinus at Top Camp is actually Murexia (so I now believe). I found the bat I shot last night by great good luck on top of a log in the tangle of down trees. Same as previous two. Also 5 Melomys and 3 Rattus all of which were wet & had to be dried with sawdust. A good catch for a wet night. Showers, wind & sunshine all day. Ken walked up the mountain from Biniguni (left at 8 A.M.--arrived here at noon.) Good to have someone cheerful in camp again. Told me that during a heavy rain at Biniguni the rest house roof had sprung a leak over my specimen boxes--no damage done. David jacked another brown-headed Ring-tail tonight (with pouch young). Kim baked an apple pie for dinner. Len took one of Geoff's boys with him today to teach him to look for small insects. More rain tonight. Wednesday 1 July LikLik brought in a Wallaby which trapped in his steel set. Rattus & Melomys made up the rest of the catch. More blue sky today & no rain! A few drops tonight. A slow day with specimen preparation taking most of the time. Some good parasites from Wallaby. Shot at 3 bats tonight--hit 2 but couldn't find one. Will search tomorrow. David brought in a Q Cuscus alive--will try to take pictures tomorrow. David also jacked 2 more brown-headed Ring-tails tonight--one with a good-sized pouch young. Rice pudding & apricot rolls for dinner. Ken may go down to Bottom camp site tomorrow to clear more ground for flys. Let Ken read Rus' letter--got quite a kick out of it & plans to write Rus from Biniguni.