photographs as vouchers, drawings, descriptions

[Sally Shelton]

The following questions were sent to me by an associate and supporter of the

museum here, who is preparing a talk on the history of scientific collecting

and collerctoras. I would appreciate any comments you may have, as well.

Please reply directly to me (unless the list is interested). I can answer

some of her questions for some fields, but would like to get answers across

the systematics spectrum. Thanks in advance for your time and consideration!

Cheers, Sally Shelton



>Are photographs sometimes accepted now as vouchers? Under what conditions?

>

>When a specimen is rare and endangered, is it still collected? Or is that

>when a photo might be allowed? I

>

>Is there a universally accepted standard for not causing further damage to

>a population or species? If not, is there one within your museum?

>

>Do you know under what conditions a painting was accepted as a type during

>early expeditions? I looked up Fritillaria biflora on MOBOT's TROPICOS. It

>appears the type is a drawing done during Sesse & Mocino's expedition in

>1787-1803.

>

>What about descriptions from the early expeditions when there wasn't a

>surviving collection? Were species named based on descriptions only?







_________________________________________________________________________________


<center><bold>Sally Y. Shelton

</bold><smaller>Director, Collections Care and Conservation

San Diego Natural History Museum, P. O. Box 1390

San Diego, CA   92112

phone (619) 232-3821, x226; FAX (619) 232-0248; <<sshelton at sdnhm.org>

<<http://www.sdnhm.org>

</smaller></center>