Pages [12 and 13]

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12
MARCH 3, 1949.

WENT OUT ALONG THE SMALL STREAM BEFORE
BREAKFAST, AND FOUND A SPRING A SHORT WAYS BELOW
THE CAMP. I PICKED UP 5 SALAMANDERS HERE, 4 OF THEM
UNDER THE SAME ROCK, HIGH ON THE SIDES. I ALSO GOT ONE
SCELOPORUS HERE, AND WAGNER CAUGHT A SECOND. THEY WERE
ALL UNDER ROCKS IN A DRY FIELD.

WE BROKE CAMP AND WENT HIGHER AFTER BREAKFAST.
WE FINALLY STOPPED IN AN ALPINE MEADOW AT ABOUT 10,500 FT.
THE VILLAGE OF LOS CONEJOS IS JUST OVER THE MOUNTAIN ABOUT
1/2 MILE. THE PEAK OF COFRE IS CLEARLY
VISIBLE DIRECTLY TO THE SOUTH OF OUR CAMP, IT IS AN ENORMOUS
RECTANGLE, LOOKING LIKE A COFFIN, HIGH IN THE SKY. IT IS
ABOUT 4,000 FEET ABOVE US.

THE ALPINE MEADOW IN WHICH WE ARE CAMPED IS QUITE
FLAT AND FULL OF LOGS. IT IS SURROUNDED BY FIR TREES, ALTHO
THERE ARE PINE GROVES HIGHER YET. THE LOGS IN THE MEADOW
ARE FULL OF SCELOPORUS, AND SEVERAL MEXICANS AND I
BUILT UP A LARGE COLLECTION OF THEM.

MACHINTOSH TURNED OVER A LOG AT THE EDGE OF A SMALL
CREEL AND FOUND A CROTALUS TRISERIATUS. HE CALLED TO ME AND
I CAUGHT IT. IT WAS VERY SMALL (MEASUREMENTS JUST BEFORE
PRESERVING - DEAD: BODY 332mm., TAIL (INC. RATTLE) 38MM., TOTAL
370mm. THE MEXICANS TURNED UP ANOTHER RATTLER ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF THE MEADOW IN A SEEPAGE AREA, UNDER A LOG.
BOTH OF THE SPECIMENS WERE IN QUITE DAMP AREAS. THE 2ND
MEASURED: BODY 437mm., TAIL 53mm., TOTAL 490mm. HE HAD
A MICROTUS MEXICANUS IN ITS STOMACH. BOTH WERE FEMALES,
I BELIEVE.

A PINE GROVE, A LITTLE FARTHER DOWN SLOPE THAN THE
CAMP, PRODUCED AN AMAZING VARIETY OF SALAMANDERS. ALL
OF THE FOLLOWING WERE FOUND:

[right page]
MARCH 3, 1949 (CONT.)

SALAMANDERS - 1ST SPECIES - SAME AS ON AJUSCO,
IN CANON CONTRERAS.

2ND SPECIES - LARGER THAN REST, A FAIRLY
UNIFORM LIGHT BROWN, WITH A IRREGULAR ROW OF
SILVER FLECKS ALONG UPPER SIDE, ALMOST FORMING A GOOD
DORSOLATERAL STRIPE. THE SIDES ARE THE SAME BROWN
COLOR ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN, THEN THE SLIGHTLY DARKER
BELLY COLOR GOES THE REST OF THE WAY AROUND. THE BROWN
IS QUITE RICH, ALMOST A GOLDEN BROWN, OR COOL TAFFY.

3RD TYPE - THERE IS A STRONG DORSOLATERAL LINE
SEPARATING THE BLACK OF THE SIDES FROM THE GREY OF THE
BACK, THERE IS A FAINT BLACK VERTEBRAL LINE FORKING ON
THE NAPE, TO EACH EYE. THE BACK IS GREY WITH TINY FAINT
REDDISH ORANGE FLECKING. THE SIDES ARE BLACK WITH
MUCH SILVER FLECKING. THE FLECKING IS ABSENT ON
THE BELLY, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY LIGHTER BLACK. THE CHIN
IS FLECKED WITH SILVER.

4TH TYPE - THIS IS MUCH SIMILAR TO THE 2ND TYPE,
BUT IT HAS A DORSOLATERAL LINE OF GOLD, MADE OF THICKLY
CONCENTRATED FLECKS. THIS LINE IS BORDERED BELOW WITH
BLACK, WHICH FADES RAPIDLY INTO A BLUISH GREY BELLY.
THE BACK IS ABOUT THE SAME BROWN AS IN THE 2ND TYPE.

ALL OF THESE WERE TAKEN IN A QUITE DRY PINE
GROVE. ONE COULD BE CERTAIN THAT A SALAMANDER WOULD
BE UNDER THE LOG, IF THERE WAS ANY SIGN OF DAMPNESS
THERE. THE GROUND WAS HEAVILY COVERED WITH PINE NEEDLES.
FALLEN LOGS WERE ABUNDANT, SOME QUITE DRY, OTHERS
DAMP, NONE WET. THERE WAS NO GROUND WATER THAT I COULD
SEE. ALL KINDS OF SALAMANDERS LISTED WERE TAKEN IN THE
SAME PLACE, AND USUALLY SEVERAL OF THEM UNDER THE SAME