L. 10, S. 5 All of the matrix rock is greatly decayed, presumably through the action of seawater, but the boys are now engaged in getting out rock to fill in parts of the air base, so I hope that I may be able to secure some samples of material showing less alteration. The sediments seem to strike more or less east and west, and to dip very slightly (about 5 degrees) towards the north (ie towards the water front. Back at the house, after we had cleaned up, we had Beach, Vernon and Maidment drop in for a chat and a few drinks. About 7 oclock I went over to Beach's yard to try for some little bats which we had seen flying there the previous evening. Got three shots off but hit no bats. Thursday, Feb. 27, 1936. This a.m. baited up 30 traps and took them out to Beach's farm. Set 20 in old garden, 5 in bamboo clumps between the garden and Maidment's coconut grove, and 5 more in among the coconuts proper. Yesterday evening several turtles were brought in. One, badly diseased, apparently from an old harpoon wound was offered to Rand who wouldn't buy it. A good specimen was then brought. Yet another was bought by our boys collectively for a few sticks of tobacco. They then proceeded to butcher it in various unpleasant ways, which included fire, knives and axes. Last night about 9.30 p.m. we found a little Macroglossine bat tangled up in the newly erected bat-net. It had made quite a big hole already. And going out half an hour later I found another hole but no bat. Beyond Maidment's coconuts a path leads right out into mangrove scrub. Very wetm muddy and mosquito, but I'll have to do some invertebrate collecting there. I noted a number of small crabs and other thing during the short time I w was in there. Afterwards took trail directly opposite entrance to Beach's, which leads through Tea-tree and Eucalyptus bush, i.e. the park-like type of forest which lets a great deal of light through to the ground. Found it very hot, and rather unattractive from the point of view of colleting mammals. Saw Vernon the road back. He reminded me that we are expectd to tea at his kapok plantation tomorrow afternoon. Brass went also collecting in mangrove swamps. He got one thing new to him. He also brought me in a couple of dozen marine slugs that look like Triton, but without shells. They were concealed about the roots of the mangroves. Beach told story of witch doctor and mysterious bark xxx whose effect on dancing natives was to make them believe themselves dancing in the air, whereas actually they were down and out on the floor. Witch doctor then rolled them overa few times with his foot, whereupon they jumped up "loco" and ran, bumping into trees and anything in their way. They came to in a quarter of an hour or so and told Beach what their sensations had been. About 3 oclock took Auda with 30 traps and went out towards the mangrove clump half a mile to the east from here. First however I set ten around the base of the "hill" in a mixture of long grass, coconut palm and banana just east of where the aeroplane landing station is being built. The first half of the way to the mangroves (at low tide) is mostly over rock, but the second part is over moderately consolidated mangrove mud, which becomes less and less consolidated the farther you go. Mangroves five years ago filled the entire space, according to Woodward. But they have ben cut away systematically so that only tall stumps now remain until the above mentioned patch is reached. Remembering the two records of Hydromys being shot under jacklight on open seabeaches, it seemed to me possible that they might swim freely among the mangroves and the remaining stumps. Accord- ingly I set fifteen traps on the tops of the tallest stumps and five more on stumps along the outer fringe of the patch of tall mangrove trees remaining. I could not determine however whether the high tide will cover the traps or not. On way out saw white headed kingfisher; Periophthalmus; a number of inter- esting looking crabs. Coming back I secured samples of the coarse and fine sedimentariess as well as examples of the large pieces of included rock, which on examination will probably turn out to be some kind of quartz (perhaps chert).