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- 2 - eastern Szechuan after I have covered Moupin. June 5. Mr. Earl Cranston of the American Methodist Mission today passed through Suifu. He has taken along with him the 32 boxes of specimens to be handed over to the American Express Company at Shanghai. This will mean a safe and quick trip. A hot day. June 6, 1928. Today I secured about thirty bats, a few of which I will skin, putting the rest in formalin. There a kind of a beetle that generally comes out at night, which emits a bad-smelling vapor when it is attacked. Sometime ago I touched one, and when the vapor struck my hand I thought it felt like a burn. Later the skin turned red at this spot. Tonight I purposely touched another of these beetles. The vapor actually gives a burning sensation and the skin turns red afterwards. I have sent specimens of this beetle in formalin. I will send some folded in envelopes so that if desired this vapor or acid can be chemically analyzed. It is reported that a victorious army is approaching Chungking on the way to Chengtu. June 7. Yang Fong Tsang, the aborigine collector, arrived today with 56 birds and mammals. He has been sick for over a month, so will be paid for two instead of three month's work. There are 16 mammals, which I numbered from A to P. This makes 103 mammals to date. June 8. Packed two boxes of specimens, Box No. 95, bird bones, Boxes No. 96, Bird Skins. June 9. Packed Box No. 97, flies. There are rumors that civil war has actually broken out in other parts of the Province. Filled Box No. 98, a snake. June 10. Worked until nearly midnight getting ready for the trip south of Suifu. June 11. Travelled all day. It was exceedingly hot. Took a boat to Lan Guang, then crossed overland to the Little River above the falls. Then took another boat to Yoh Keo, or Moon Mouth. Here we secured an escort and travelled to a very small ^[[Si]] hamlet 15 li from Sa^[[1]] Ho^[[2]] E^[[4]], named Boh^[[5]] Dao^[[1]] Si^[[3]], or Thin Knife [[underline]] Li. [[/underline]] [[margin note, correction for Li: "Si"]] I secured a good catch of bees and wasps, and one brown flycatcher with a short tail. Aside from these we secured little else. I walked as usual, and feel well after the walk. We could have reached Sa Ho E, but there are few good inns, and always a big crowd collects so I like to spend the night in this quiet spot, and pass through Sa Ho E rather quickly. June 12. Reached Hua [[underline]] H [[underline]]an [[margin note, correction for Han: "Lan ?"]] Chiao rather early, killed 12 birds. More certain rumors are arriving of impending civil war. The aborigine collector went [[underline]] hom [[/underline]] [[margin note, correction for hom: "home"]] today. He will rejoin me in a few days. It is very hot. Met a number of old friends.
Transcription Notes:
Underlined words are marked thus to indicate a correction, usually in the adjacent margin.
