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11

Jan. 29. First thing in the morning had a fitting at Nathan's; can have suit tomorrow. Back to the house and while Dick worked over some of the notes, I took a sweeping net and worked over the row of Gunga pea vines. Gunga pea seems to be one of the ever-bearing varieties of legume and the peas resemble Black-eyed rather than Green. Very little to be found except one species of thrips that was very abundant in the flowers. After luncheon Dick and I went to Ferry R. (Fresh R. on map) for our first real collecting. Started to tear bark off a standing dead tree about three feet in diameter and got a surprise. Six or eight roaches, each about three inches long, flew out as soon as the bark was disturbed. On the trunk under the bark was a scorpion perhaps two and a half inches long and a couple of villainous looking but harmless tailless whip scorpions. Also a few beetles. I don't put my bare fingers under loose bark any more. Saw many pseudoscorpions but most of them got away before I could get at them. Found some recent dung in road and dug out a good series of [[underlined]] Oniticellus cubiensis [[/underlined]] (Cast.) and some Aphodiinae. Sifting was not good as the top soil and forest floor are completely dried out. Set some traps baited with molasses. Returned for tea. This is Dick's birthday and Ruth and Mrs. Wooler had a birthday cake and ice cream ready. After tea, the three of us ran up to the bridge across the small stream above Gordontown. Good series of a whirligig beetle, Dineutes sp., and a ptilodactylid, the latter actually in the water. As soon as dusk set in, we put up the net over the car and drove back slowly. Made a good catch of small things, including many Staphylinidae. After supper took flashlight and went after fireflies. Took a series in the field back of the house. There was a fine bunch of a blue tenebrionid, [[underlined]] Tarpela mutabilis [[/underlined]] Waterh. on a fence post. Missed another nice scorpion, this time on a fence post. Home and to bed at 11.45 PM.

Jan. 30. Today we took out first long trip. Packed a good lunch and started to circle the east end of the island. We went by way of Stony Hill and Castleton Gardens to the Wag Water and followed it to the north shore near Anotto Bay. We stopped for our first collecting near here. Swept along the roadside and took a series of Pentatomids as well as the usual line of small stuff. Found a species of Diplopod was travelling on the upper surface of the rails of the R R track. From here we took the coast road toward Port Antonio. Didn't see much that looked promising for collecting until we reached Hope Bay. Back of a old foundation we found a cattle pen