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NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



hilly regions. Here nature is found 

 unmolested and wild, but inaccessible. 

 For an expedition, this territory would 

 prove rich in results. 



Barro Colorado Island Laboratory, Gatun 

 Lake, Panama Canal Zone 



The Institute for Research in Tropical 

 America was organized under the aus- 

 pices of the National Research Council 

 in the spring of 1922. The member 

 institutions are: American Anthropo- 

 logical Association; American Genetic 

 Association; American Museum of Na- 

 tural History; American Phytopatho- 

 logical Society; American Society of 

 Agronomy; Brooklyn Botanic Garden; 

 California Academy of Sciences; Car- 

 negie Museum; Commercial Museum 

 of Philadelphia; Ecological Society of 

 America; Harvard University; Indiana 

 University; Johns Hopkins University; 

 National Geographic Society; National 

 Research Council; New York Academy 

 of Sciences; New York Zoological 

 Society; University of Michigan; Phila- 

 delphia Academy of Sciences; Smith- 

 sonian Institution; University of Flor- 

 ida; and Yale University. The Institute 

 was organized to promote research in 

 tropical America. Barro Colorado Is- 

 land was set aside by the Canal Zone as 

 a reserve and was assigned to the Insti- 

 tute for scientific purposes. The Insti- 

 tute has built a laboratory or field 

 station on the island and provided 

 simple furniture and utensils, so that 

 visiting scientists can camp while 

 carrying on field work in the forest. 



Barro Colorado Island is located in 

 Gatun Lake, west of Frijoles, C. Z., 

 and its east side borders the Panama 

 Canal prism. It is approximately 10 

 mi. from Gatun and Gamboa, and about 

 two mi. west of Frijoles. It is 3^ mi. 

 long and about 3| mi. wide. Its area 

 is about 6 sq. mi. It begins with an 

 elevation of 85 ft. above sea level, which 

 is the normal level of Gatun Lake, and 

 reaches an elevation of 537 ft. It is 

 completely wooded, excepting for a few 

 hectares at one spot of the southern 

 shore which are under cultivation. The 



vegetation is practically virgin tropical 

 rain forest. 



When Gatun Lake was formed, the 

 rising waters slowly inundated all lands 

 below the 85 ft. contour. Barro Colorado 

 Island was in the center of an extensive 

 area which the rising waters were cover- 

 ing up. The animals that were able to 

 migrate gradually drained into this 

 island. Thus the island became a 

 refuge to a large host of animals. It 

 has been practically undisturbed and 

 is today the only available large tract 

 of virgin forest in this region. 



The number of species of plants on 

 this island, exclusive of cryptogams, 

 is in the neighborhood of 2000. Verte- 

 brates are well represented. Of the 

 mammals, the following may be men- 

 tioned: several species of opossums, 

 sloths, ant eaters, armadillo, peccary, 

 deer, tapir, olingo, several species of 

 rats and similar rodents, tayra, agouti, 

 squirrels, rabbits, raccoon, coati, ocelot, 

 many species of bats, the night monkey, 

 howling monkey, white-throated ca- 

 puchin monkey, spider monkey, etc., 

 typical of the humid lower tropical 

 zone. The shore fauna and flora are 

 quite varied. 



In addition to the island, there are 

 excellent places nearby easily reached 

 by a launch, such as the headwaters of 

 the Trinidad, Sirri and Sirricito Rivers, 

 the Chagres and its tributaries, Rio 

 Gatun, etc., and by cayuca or canoe 

 many of the small streams can be 

 explored. 



Brigadier General Jay J. Morrow, 

 Governor of The Panama Canal, under 

 date of April 17, 1923, set aside this 

 island as a Natural Park and prohibited 

 all hunting thereon, in response to a 

 request by Mr. James Zetek. 



The Panama Canal is the most acces- 

 sible region in the world. Steamer 

 service is plentiful and rapid, averaging 

 seven days from New York. Many 

 features are present which should make 

 this island laboratory a popular place 

 for the study of tropical conditions 

 and biota. At Ancon the United States 

 Government maintains a large modern 



