Tuesday 2 June 1953 (cont) Top Camp hunter comes tomorrow. Drying skulls over lamp. Smells good. Wednesday 3 June More collecting excitement this A.M. About 1 A.M. Kim was awake and he heard noises in the trees down in the ravine. He woke David and the two found 2 giant rats (Hyomys). David shot one. Another new species for the trip. One by one they come in. 10 specimens today. Made up the large pouch young of the brown ring tail. 2 Melomys and 5 Rattus. Cleaned the skeleton of Hyomys. Worked on specimens most of day. This A.M. several carriers arrived from Biniguni. Ken sent them up with sugar, rice, salt, white yams and sweet potatoes and 2/3 s of a bottle of rum (Len and Geoff are running short !). I still have over 2 bottles of lemon powder. Also sent betel nut for the boys (just like candy to them--except that if they chew too much they become stu[pified]). Note from Ken detailing all his plans for future carrier supplies from coast. Isilele will not have to go down to help Ken. Bat shooting in late P.M. Saw only one at top of hill. No eye tonight--fired 3 times and did not bring it down. Jimmy came home early today with a huge black and white cuscus. Our 3rd of this species and by far the largest. Decided to take a rest from jacking tonight. Read and dried skulls over handle of lamp. To bed early 10:15 P.M. Misted up this P.M.--a little rain. Stars out tonight. Thursday 4 June A lucky day for me with the surprise coming in an unexpected manner. I had just come into my tent at 9:30 P.M. from jacking (nothing) when I heard something bounce on my tent top and slide down onto the ground. Too large for a moth-- gone outside and saw a small bat lying next to the tent. Grabbed for him and he grabbed me. A little fruit bat (poss. Syconycteris) with long pointed muzzle and a very long pink tongue. No tail. A soft brownish gray all over. Oval ears. Slightly tube-nosed (1 mm.). Hair long, soft, thick. Hair on proximal 1/3 of forearm covering large flight d. & vent. muscles, wing membrane attached to dorsal surface of feet (not side). Inner dorsal ventral surface of wing membrane furred. 2nd finger [illegible] 3 phalanges--1 long, 2 very short-clawed. No tragus. Collected 2 parasites. Every trip produces 1 or more unusual collecting experiences and this is one ! Went out with Isilele in EM. to set more steel traps for giant rats. Found a Wallaby in trap ! 2 in one day-- I found one this A.M. in one of my concealed, unbaited sets. Mine had a large pouch young--all legs. Made a siffp chittering call. With cuscus and 7 Rattus-- 10 spec. for the day. Just before dinner I shot another Miniopterus in forest. Almost dark and I was lucky it fell and swung on a leaf. Good Sunny A.M. Kim took pictures of me with stereo holding Wallaby with Joey sticking his head out of pouch, and also cuscus. Took 2 of general camp layout. Geoff and I have settled on Sat. June 6 (Coronation Day) to climb Maneau. Will have boys take up some traps. If clear, will attempt a few hyper-stereos. Geoff's boys made a good haul of tiny frogs today. Scarce up here. Friday 5 June A quiet day spent in camp. Wallaby, 2 bats and 3 rats for the day. My prize long- tongued bat made up very well. The boys took the Wallaby body to boil up for stew. Wrapped 93 specimens today. My knock down box may not hold all my Top Camp specimens. Len was off for the day on the back track collecting in the beech forest. Geoff and I made our plans for tomorrow. G. has written a proclamation to be read on the summit and then cached in a vial in a stone pile. He is taking a tiny swallow of rum to toast the Queen and I will have my bar of Cadbury's chocolate which Ailsa sent to me in Menapi. All the boys are coming with us except Len's 2 boys who went up with Len the first week. All we need now is a