L. 25, P. 2 Friday, Dec. 4. This morning took seven R. brachyrhinus and one R? ringens. The "Goodwill" got away about 6.15. Had answer to cable from Archbold. He has another 'plane picked out already for about six months from now. Walked out along trail towards WSW for about a mile and a quarter. Very flat. Open tea tree and Fucalyp forest, with fringes of much heavier scrub on either side. Our water at present has all to be carried in from there, where a tiny chain of disconnected water holes furnishes the sole supply. The rivers are tidal and salt - far too salt to drink. Saw signs of wallaby (savanna) and some kind of bandicoots. Last night two kinds of small bats flying above camp. Fruit bats in some numbers very high, all flying SW. In p.m. Rand and I went up the west creek in the dinghy at high water. The chain of waterholes drains into that creek and we were looking for a better way of getting to it. The salt water reaches within a quarter of a mile of the fresh water holes at high tide. Also at the junction of fresh and salt I found outcrops of limestone which I want to go back later and examine. A canoe landing at the mouth of the west creek probably the beginning of a trail going north or northwest. After afternoon tea I had Aia show me a trap trail I had had the boys cut while Rand and I went up west creek. It goes to the mouth of the same creek and up the shore for a short distance. Looks rather promising. A number of holes both in the ground and in trees. This evening at dusk Rand and I each got a small bat (two species of Vespertilionidae, probably Myotis and Pipistrellus) and Rand made a very fine shot with a rifle and brought down a fruit bat which was passing over very high. It was one of a number. They were all flying SW. Sat. Dec. 6. Overcast night which ended with thunder and a good downpour of rain about dawn. It is still raining as I write at eight oclock. In traps a number of R. brachyrhinus and one Isoodon. Tarara is located between two main rivers, and in addition a good sized creek comes in from the west, emptying just on the north side of us. So actually we are on a point of land. The greater part of the terrain is flat & very flat. And is clothed with open tree forest. But where the ground approaches the rivers or the creek there is a steep dip on which bigger and denser forest grows. All around the village has at some time or other been cleared for gardens. The gardens are now abandoned and the clearing have grown up to grass. The tree savanna identical to what I saw at Mabaduane, but Brass says there are some different trees on it. As I've said before the rivers and the creek are salt. Tides: low today about 7.30; high about 1.30 p.m. The R. brachyrhinus seem to be between breeding spells. One had very tiny embryos, the rest had none. A specimen caught was very immature, representing probably the last lot of young. This morning along fringe forest. Used sulphur in three trees trying to smoke out bats. The second tree had one in it but we missed it. The third had a male and a female Rhinolophus (?), the latter with a young one clinging to it. These are the species with broad, rather rounded ears. The tail is turned up beyond the first external joint. In the young bat the tail is turned up completely over the back. The ears are partly rolled or coiled and the tail is proportionately very short in the young bat. It sits or clings with thumbs of the wings and hind claws, chiefly to the wing membranes. When picked up it was reversed in direction with the mother, i.e. it was being carried stern forwards. Went out afterwards with two boys and cut new trail to the south. Sun. Dec. 6. Twenty specimens in traps: 3 M. muscalis 8 R brachyrhinus and 9 R. ringens. I didn't make them all up, and the only specimen in