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U-48-5

flats. I went about a Km. below where I was yesterday. It was all flat mud sand flats with stranded very shallow ponds. As I walked barefoot in these ponds fish or shrimp (the exact color of the sand) would dart back and forth). I caught a number of small gobies [[image- small goby]] with superior eyes like [[underline]] Dactyloscopus [[/underline]] and a long united ventral disc. The mouth was definitely superior. I also got a number of young [[underline]] Platycephalus [[/underline]] (1/2-1" t.l.). Sand colored shrimp, ghost crabs, hermit crabs, snails were abundant, also I saw a couple of anemones, and collected one. 

Note: from time to time as a couple of days ago I have seen chanard [[underline]] Scomberomorus Commersonni[[/underline]] with brown bands like the Australian species and rather elongate like the kingfish brought to the dock by trolling parties. 

   Apr. 14, 1948- This morning, I rescued the cook's belongings from our boat, since our quarters did not appeal to him. I also handled my laundry. 
   This afternoon, I took a trip along the shore as far as Saihat, and noticed many fish traps of date palm fronds along the way. Just south of Damam, I collected a [[underline]] Therapon [[/underline]] in a drainage ditch from a date garden. The water tasted fresh and was about 1/4 mile from the Gulf or less. Cyprinodonts were also present. The terapons varyed from 1 1/2 - 4 inches and were rapidly swimming back and forth. I caught one with the help of an Arab who was passing by. 
   I saw one more curlew, a turnstone, several

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plovers (just like semi-palmated plovers), and sand-pipers like the semi-palmated with longish bills and non-descript plumage. Just near Al Khobar I saw a grey and white hawk like a goshawk.
   I met an Arab contractor [[underline]]Abdul Latif Almana[[/underline]], a contractor, who was in a truck that failed to go into high gear. He was bound for Qatif, and I gave him a ride there, and sat in a tent on the desert while he wrote out some letters for his time keeper. He lives temporarily in Al Khobar, but his home is in Basra. Arabs on the whole take things as they come "In sha Allah," rather than rush around as Americans do; the contrast was rather a relaxation for me.
   The [[underline]] Terapons [[/underline]] had bronze yellow coloring on top and white silver below with the black stripes, a striking color combination. Collection U-48-6

   Apr. 15- Today I bathed with Mary Leonardini, the school teacher, and she wanted me to lecture sometime to the gang, and also the children. This afternoon, I took Philip Braun, a sixteen year old with me and we collected in the same spot as yesterday for Terapon, and two new places for Cyprinodon dispar at a brackish  overflow well near the shore south of Hammam and another flat marsh about 1 Km. further south. I also got young mullet in the well overflow (a pipe pouring out water from the ground). Philip is a nice fellow and a good help. This evening, I went down to the Khobar pier and with the help of Chuck Mead got a few fish (scad, pipefish, halfbeak, & Pronesus).