Sunday 19 April 1953 (cont) boys were having an impromptu game under coconut trees. They love the game & are good with their bare feet. David went out at dusk again & found 2 more cuscuses in coconut grove west of town. ♀ still alive and in fighting mood. One pouch young--much older than one found in ♀ yesterday. Other a male. Dennis Lamb dropped in to say good-bye as did Bill. No jacking tonight. Wrote letters. Only Ru and I are still up. I enjoy him, but others don't give him much time. Len will be out again tomorrow. Ru went for walk towards Banapa in P.M. & wading on reef looking for a certain plant this A.M. Also a bird-watcher. Wish he were staying longer. Has worked with Tinbergen.McLaren-- our nearest neighbor -- brought me a watermelon today as a present. Surf on reef today. Monday 20 April Menapi. Lik Lik and Isilele busy all A.M. skinning cuscus apiece. David & I teamed well on 4 rodents. Finished putting metal tags on rest of Tapitapipi Cave bats. Brought my catalog completely up to date. Ken & Geoff were busy most of day getting food supplies for camps under control--much weighing of swags. Ken had boy clean out kitchen--sorted out tomato & potato piles. Found cooks were starting to take drinking water from brook rather than rain tank at Mission. All of us have had slight digestive upsets. Shot 2 bats tonight: Miniopterus in front of Rest House & Scotineinus over banana trees in back of house. Boys out jacking in coconuts--David brought in 2 flying squirrels. Len and Ru out past Banapa this A.M.--a long morning but collecting not so good. "Ruru" sailed in A.M. but did not get early start. Took all of our mail. Shot some pictures of boys working. Poor light(50) F 4.5 at 1/25. Wind died completely today--trying to rain tonight. Lack of wind is a relief but as a result it is rather warm and sticky. Had a split pea (dried) debate at table tonight. Ken cooked some peas with pressure cooker (Len has no use for it) & cook soaked & boiled another batch-- still hard. Pr. cooked peas (20 min) not much better. Len insisted his had better flavor. G & I wanted no part of either. Tuesday 21 April Menapi. Another long day. Found a Bandicoot in my grass trap line. Fly-blown so made formalin solution to hold skin & kill eggs. Worked very well. Billy brought in a small Bandicoot that they caught in grass. David caught another short-tailed grass rat. Made up all skins (2 gliders--2 bats--2 bandicoots-- 1 rat) Jack Peters--Medical asst. at Baniara came in at mid-day from his peninsula walkabout--on way home from Dabora. From Brisbane--very pleasant-- interested in my work. Seems to know native health problems & cures. Morning & afternoon clinics. Natives come from all over. Stayed for dinner. More ration cans. Spag. & meat balls, hamburgers & delicious gravy. Opened a candy & cracker tin, also a jam, cookie & crackers tin. Sol. coffee (very poor) sugar & pwd. milk in each can. David jacking east of Menapi shot another cuscus (w.2 tiny pouch yg.--attached). I shot a Dobsonia & small yellow-mantled Pteropus. More foxes about tonight than for 2 weeks. Very still tonight. No wind. Few drops of rain in A.M. It was clear today & we could see mainland mountains. Ken & I had a chat tonight after others went to bed about native ways & thinking. Patrick here today. No wallabies but promises to go out again. Ken & David may go out to big scrub N. of here tomorrow P.M. Jack at night, camp out, put traps down & return to Menapi Thurs A.M. No luck shooting small bats today. First month (31 days) of trapping ended today. Total of specimens = 417 --a lot of work. Don't expect to keep up this average(will not find bat caves each month).