Field Notes of Walter P. Taylor

[Cindy Ramotnik]

I am forwarding this request for Dr. Michael Bogan, National Biological
Service, Museum of Southwestern Biology, Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The
request is also being posted to NHCOLL-L.

Dr. Bogan would like to locate the field notes of W.P. Taylor for May 1933
during which time Taylor was on a collecting trip in the area of White
Sands [National Monument], Otero County, New Mexico.  On or around 6 May
1933, Taylor collected four specimens of the White Sands Woodrat, Neotoma
micropus leucophaea, from "10 miles West Point of Sands," New Mexico, the
type locality of this subspecies.  Because the status of this taxon is
unclear (the description of the subspecies was based on these four
specimens), Dr. Bogan hopes to examine the original field notes to obtain
additional information on exact site of the type locality, ecological
observations, and habitat description.

The four specimens are deposited in two collections: USNM and Univ. of
Arizona.  The Curators at these institutions were contacted but no field
notes could be located.  Dr. Bogan also contacted Dr. Don Hoffmeister in
Illinois, archivist of the American Society of Mammalogists, to no avail
and he has written Dr. Taylor's daughter in Canada (no response yet).  At
various times, Dr. Taylor worked for the Biological Survey, Texas A & M
University, and was (perhaps) a freelance biologist.  He also lived and
worked in Arizona and California.  Anyone who can provide assistance
should contact me or Dr. Bogan (mbogan at unm.edu).  Thank you very much for
your assistance.

Cindy Ramotnik
National Biological Service