Field notes : Mexico, 1949

[upside down note slip of paper:]

GAS MAY 9 8.65

BURROS MAY 9 15.00

SUPPER MAY 9 $7.00

BREAKFAST MAYU 10 $18.00

[left page] MARCH 17, 1949. - CERRO SAN ANDRES

NOTES ON FROG BEFORE PRESERVATION (HYLA LAFRENTZI) GOLDEN-ORANGE COLORED AROUND PAIRED DARK SLITS ON BACK. THE ENTIRE ANIMAL HAS A GOLDEN SHINE IN THE OLIVE GREEN SKIN. THE GROUND COLOR IS LIGHT GREEN, THE SIDE STRIPE IS BROWNISHGREEN, THE DORSAL SIDE OF THE FINGERS AND TOES IS QUITE GOLDEN COLORED. - OR BRONZY.

MARCH 19, 1949 - CERRO SAN ANDRES DROVE TO TOWN FOR SUPPLIES WITH MCVAUGH, SO THAT I COULD COLLECT LOWER DOWN. AFTER GOING TO TOWN WE WENT BACK UP THE MOUNTAIN TO A STREAM AT 7,800 FEET. CHIEFLY PINE, WITH SOME OAKS. FLOOR WAS HEAVILY COVERED WITH PINE NEEDLES, AND THERE WERE QUITE A FEW ROCKS ON THE SLOPE, TURNING ROCKS PRODUCED A CONOPSIS. MCVAUGH COLLECTED A SALVADORA BAIRDII AND A HYLA [BISillegible] FOR ME ON THE SLOPES. I CAUGHT ANOTHER OF THE SMALL HYLA, WHICH ARE EITHER LAFRENTZI OR EXIMIA. THE HIND LEG HAS THE T.T. ART. TO THE EYE, BUT THEY ARE COLORED EXACTLY AS THE LAFRENTZI FROM THE D. C.

MARCH 20, 1949 - CERRO SAN ANDRES. WORKED UP THE CANYON BEHIND THE CAMP. THIS CANYON IS QUITE DAMP, AND WELL SUPPLIED WITH SPRINGS. THERE IS A FAIRLY DEEP STREAM IN IT, FLOWING RAPIDLY. SOME OF THE SPRINGS ARE QUITE HOT, PRACTICALLY BOILING AS IT COMES OUT. RANA PIPIENS IS VERY ABUNDANT IN THE STREAM, AND THERE ARE MANY TADPOLES IN THE STREAM. THERE ARE NO AXOLOTLS IN IT, HOWEVER. I GOT A SERIES OF 21 NYLA - AGAIN THELAFRENTZI-EXIMIA THING. THEY WERE ALL UNDER BARK ON DAMP LOGS LYING ALONG AND

[right page] MARCH 20, 1949, CONT. ACROSS THE STREAM. THERE WERE SEVERAL TIME 3, 4 OR 5 UNDER A SINGLE PIECE OF BARK.

TOLD AN INDIAN BOY I WANTED SOME AXOLOTLS FROM THE LAKE AT THE RANCH, AND HE BROUGHT IN 37 SALAMANDERS AND 4 FROGS. HE SAID THEY CAME FROM THE LAKE. THEY WERE ALL TRANSFORMED BUT ONE.

MARCH 21, 1949, - CERRO SAN ANDRES. WENT TO THE LAKE TO CHECK ON THE BOY. FOUND THAT HE HAD GOTTEN THE AMBYSTOMA BY TURNING OVER ROCKS AND LOGS AT THE EDGE OF THE LAKES THERE, NOT IN THE WATER.. I GOT AN EXTRA SERIES THERE UNDER LOGS, AS MUCH AS 300 YDS FROM THE WATER. I ALSO GOT PSEUDOEURYCEA BELLII UNDER THE LOGS. THE AMBYSTAMA VARY MUCH IN COLOR, SOME PRACTICALLY LACK YELLOW OTHER ARE LIBERALLY SPOTTED WITH YELLOW. THEY ARE QUITE ABUNDANT THERE. THERE ARE AXOLOTLS THERE ALSO, I TOOK SEVERAL FROM THE STREAM BETWEEN THE TWO LAKES. THE SECOND LAKE IS RAPIDLY DRYING UP, WHICH MAY BE A FACTOR IN TRANSFORMATION. PIPIENS, PIPIENS TOADS, AND A MUCH LARGER TOAD WERE PLENTIFUL ALONG THE STREAM AND IN THE LAKE.

MARCH 22, 1949. ENROUTE. PICKED UP A PITUOPHIS D.O.R. STOPPED FOR NIGHT AT LAKE PATZCUARO.

MARCH 23, 1949 - ENROUTE. COLLECTED A CONOPSIS UNDER A ROCK AT PATZCUARO. HE WAS QUITE BROWN, WHILE ALL THE OTHERS HAVE BEEN GRAY.

GRGE- 56.0 at cane Eld 670{?)- San Pedro AE Apuamo 69.6 at HGMY 730 {?}

MARCH 23, 1949. - CONT.

DROVE TO CIUDAD GUZMAN, TURNING OFF THE HGHY SOMEWHAT SHORT OF THE HGHY TO [???LAN]. THE ROAD RUNS PAST TWO VAST DRY LAKES, ONE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY OFF THE MAIN HGHY TO GUADALAJANA. THERE IS A SHORT STRETCH OF MT. ROAD BEFORE WE CAME DOWN INTO THE FLAT. WE STAYED LOW PAST A SECOND DRY LAKE AND SAYULA, THEN CLIMBED A LOW RANGE OF MTS TO GUZMAN. WE OVERNIGHTED IN GUZMAN. (HOTEL ANGUIANO - THE WORST YET).

MARCH 24, 1949. NEVADA DE COLIMA. THE ROAD TO THE MOUNTAIN IS THE FIRST TO THE RIGHT FROM THE SW CORNER OF THE PLAZA IN GUZMAN. IT FOLLOWS AN OLD DRY [illegible] (PROBABLY FLOODED IN THE RAINY SEASON TO THE HILLS. OUR CAMP SITE IS ON THE NW SLOPE OF THE MOUNTAIN, WITH THE PEAK NOT VISIBLE. IT IS SHUT OFF BY A LONG HIGH ESCARPMENT. THE ROAD PASSES [illegible] AND JASMIN TO EL ISELTE AND ENDWS THERE AT AN OLD SAWMILL. WATER FOR THE TOWN MUST COME DOWN FROM HIGH IN THE MOUNTAIN VIA AN AQUEDUCT MADE OF HOLLOWED LOGS. THIS IS OUR H2O SUPPLY HERE. DR. MCVAUGH CAUGHT AN [illegible] FOR ME ABOUT 7600 FT., ON THE ROAD UP. GOT 2 EUMECES AND A SCELOP MICRO, AT THE OLD MILL. WE MADE CAMP IN THE DIRTIEST, DRIEST SPOT YET.

MARCH 25, 1949. - NEVADA DE COLIMA.

SPENT THE WHOLE DAY WORKING UP AND DOWN HILLSIDES AND CANYONS, TURNING LOGS AND RIPPING BARK. GOT TWO SCELOP MICROS. THIS IS THE DRY SEASON HERE WITH A VENGEANCE. THERE IS NO DAMPNESS ANYWHERE. I WORKED JUST AS HARD IF NOT HARDER HERE THAN ANY PLACE YET, BUT

[right page] MARCH 25 - 1949, CONT.

GOT NOTHING. THERE WAS NO "LITTLE RAINY SEASON" HERE THIS YEAR - NO RAIN IN JANUARY - AND THE RESULT IS NOTHING STIRRING.

MARCH 26, 1949 - NEVADA DE COLIMA.

WENT UP THE AQUEDUCT WHICH SUPPLIES THIS WHOLE AREA WITH WATER TO ITS SOURCE. THIS IS ABOUT 1500 FT HIGHER AND ABOUT 2 MILES SE OF [EL I SOLTE??]. THE WATER IS CAUGHT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER FLOWING OUT OF THE GROUND AND PIPED AWAY, SO THIS IS JUST AS DRY AN AREA AS THE REST OF THE MOUNTAIN. I CAUGHT ONE PSEUDOEURYCEA BELLII TO PROVE I PUT IN A DAY'S WORK. HE WAS UNDER A LOG VERY NEAR THE AQUEDUCT. THE AREA IMMEDIATELY ABOUT THE SPRING IS ENTERABLE ONLY BY LADDER, AND IS NOT GRAZED BY CATTLE. URTICA, THE NETTLE, IS ABUNDANT AND PAINFUL. HELMUT SAYS HE HAS NEVER MET IT IN MEXICO BEFORE THIS. THE GRASS IS HIGH AND QUITE GREEN, AND BUSHES ARE NUMEROUS AND LARGE. IT WAS STILL TOO DRY FOR ME, HOWEVER.

MARCH 27, 1949 - NEVADA DE COLIMA

TRIED BROMELIAD COLLECTING TODAY, AFTER GETTING ANOTHER BELLII UNDER A LOG IN A DEEP CANYON. THIS SPECIES IS APPARENTLY INURED TO DRYING, AND CAN STAND MUCH MORE OF IT THAN ANY OTHER SPECIES I'VE SEEN DOWN HERE. THE BROMELIADS PRODUCED NOTHING. THEY SEEM TO BE QUITE SPECIFIC IN THEIR CHOICE OF HOST TREE, BEING CONFINED TO OAKS, AND POSSIBLY TO ONE SPECIES OF THEM. THEY DON'T GROW ON PINES OR EUCALYPTUS AT ALL. THE BROMELIADS ARE QUITE DRY, WITH NO REAL POOLS, JUST MOISTURE AT THE BOTTOMS OF THE LEAVES.

[left page] MARCH 28, 1949 - NEVADA DE COLIMA.

TURNED LOGS AND TONE UP BROMELIADS ALL DAY WITH NO LUCK AT ALL. A COMPLETE BLANK. WENT DOWN TO ABOUT 7000 FT., BUT FOUND NO WATER OR LESSENING OF THE DRYNESS. THERE IS MUCH COVER HERE, AND THE LIFE IS PROBABLY TREMENDOUS IN THE RAINY SEASON. THE BIRD LIFE IS ABUNDANT EVEN NOW, WITH MORE SPECIES THAN I HAVE NOTICED BEFORE ELSEWHERE.

MARCH 29, 1949 - SAN GABRIEL, JALISCO, 4000FT. DROVE FROM EL ISOLTE TO THE MAIN ROAD TO TOLIMAN, AND FOLLOWED IT TO JASMIN, AND PAST. A FORK IN THE ROAD TOOK US IN THE WRONG DIRECTION (JUST WEST OF JASMIN, NEAR VOLCANO, LEFT TO TOLIMAN, RIGHT TO SAN GABRIEL). WE LEARNED OF SAN GABRIEL AND DROVE HERE INSTEAD OF TO TOLIMAN, AS PLANNED. DROVE NORTH OF THE VILLAGE, WHICH IS IN A TERRIFICALLY PARCHED, DRY AND DUSTY VALLEY BETWEEN THE RANGES OF THE NEVADA DE COLIMA & THE NEXT RANGE WEST, FOR THE MASTOS TO SET TRAPS. I WORKED OVER A ROCKY HILLSIDE WHICH IS ALMOST DEFINITELY A HIBERNATION SITE AND WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOLD MINE DURING THE FIRST TRAINS. THERE ARE MANY ROCK OUTCROPPINGS WITH CREVICES RUNNING DEEPLY BENEATH. I FOUND SEVERAL SHED SKINS OF CONOPSISOR TOLUCA SIZE UNDER ROCKS. HOOPER SAW A SMALL BROWN SNAKE WHICH HE COULDN'T CATCH.

ON THE WAY BACK TO TOWN WE STOPPED BY A SMALL WATER HOLE, ORIGINALLY ABOUT 15-20 FEET WIDE, NOW SHRUNK TO A SHALLOW POOL ABOUT 3 INCHES DEEP AND 4-5 FEET WIDE. I FOUND 2 SCELOPS UNDER ROCKS, AND A VERY LARGE ROCK NEAR THE POOL COVERED

[right page] MARCH 29 - CONT. A VERY DORMANT YOUNG KINOSTERNON. HE WAS PARTIALLY IN AND PART OUT OF A SMALL HOLE WELL UNDER THE ROCK. HIS EYES WERE COMPLETELY SEALED SHUT. HELMUT RETURNED, AND WE DROVE TO TOWN.

MARCH 30, 1949. - SAN GABRIEL, JALISCO, 4000 FT. WENT OUT WITH THE MASTOS TO TRAP LOCALITY, WHICH WAS ON THE HILLSIDE MENTIONED YESTERDAY, AND TURNED ROCKS IN THE EARLY MORNING. GOT 2 SCELOPS AND A GOOD SIZED CNEMIDOPHORUS, ALL UNDER ROCKS ON THE EDGE OF A CORN FIELD.

WHEN WE GOT BACK TO TOWN, I WENT WEST ALONG THE SMALL STREAM WHICH SUPPLIES THE TOWNS H2O. IT IS A FAIRLY RAPIDLY FLOWING STREAM, WHICH OCCASIONALLY FORMS A GOOD SIZED POOL WITH QUIET WATER. THE FIRST ROCK I TURNED PRODUCED A BATCH OF BUFO, ALL RECENTLY TRANSFORMED. THE FIRST ROCK HID 12. THE NEXT BIG ROCK HID 13, THE NEXT 15, AND ONE 18. I GOT A SERIES IMMEDIATELY AND STOPPED COLLECTING THEM. THE STREAM IS FULL OF TADPOLES. THE ROCK WALLS WHICH MARK THE HACIENDA BOUNDARIES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREAM WERE LIBERALLY SUPPLIED WITH LIZARDS. CNEMIDOPHORUS, SCELOPORUS AND ANOLIS. I SAW NONE OF THE IGUANA WHICH THE LOCAL PEOPLE SAY ARE COMMON HERE. I GOT A SCELOP & A CNEMIDOPHORUS. I ENTERED A SMALL BANANA GROVE AND FOUND A HYLA IN THE BASE OF A LEAF FROND, BUT COULD FIND NO MORE THAN ONE.

TOOK THE GUN AND DIPNET IN THE P.M., AND SHOT 2 ANOLES, A SCELOP & CNEMIDOPHORUS. DIPPED OUT A FISH COLLECTION AND A BATCH OF TADPOLES.