MEXICAN TAILLESS AMPHIBIANS IN THE UNITED STATES 

 NATIONAL MUSEUM 



By Remington Kellogg 



Assistant Curator, Division of Mammals, United States National Museum 



HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION 



In 1926 the writer was instructed by Dr. E. W. Nelson, at that 

 time chief of the Bureau of Biological Survey of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, to examine and prepare a report on the 

 herpetological collections made by Doctor Nelson and Edward A. 

 Goldman in Mexico. This work has been completed since the writer 

 became a member of the staff of the United States National Museum. 

 In the course of this study the scope of the report was enlarged to 

 include all the Mexican material that was available in the National 

 Museum and other American institutions. Inasmuch as it was orig- 

 inally intended to deal with the Mexican collection of Nelson and 

 Goldman, a few facts in regard to the inauguration of their field work 

 and the extent of their explorations may be of interest. 



COLLECTING WORK OF NELSON AND GOLDMAN 



Upon completion of field work by the Death Valley expedition and 

 the consequent disbanding of the party at Visalia, Tulare County, 

 Calif., the various members scattered to take up other assignments. 

 Doctor Nelson traveled southward through the San Joaquin Valley to 

 the Goldman ranch at Alila (no wEarlimart), Calif., where he mentioned 

 to E. A. Goldman's father his intention of obtaining an assistant. 

 The father spoke of his son's interest in natural history and remarked 

 that he was then in Fresno. As a result of this conversation, the 

 senior Goldman went to Fresno and brought Edward back with him 

 to the ranch for Nelson's appraisal. On October 10, 1891, Goldman 

 left his father's ranch as Nelson's personal assistant, the understanding 

 being that he was to be given $30 a month and his board. This was 

 paid by Nelson out of his own salary of $150 a month. They traveled 

 in a buckboard outfit, which was the object of no little curiosity 

 because of two 42-pound bear traps that hung one from each side. 

 For some reason Nelson had chosen the name "Scalops" for one 

 member of their team, while the other went by the name of "Johnny." 



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