ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology is under obligation
to numerous persons and organizations for support and assistance in the
prosecution of the Yosemite survey. The greatest aid from any one source
has come from Miss Annie M. Alexander, who made the enterprise possible
through her unstinted financial support of the Museum during the several
years in which the field and office work has been under way. Her
unswerving faith in the worthiness of the undertaking served continually
to encourage and energize those who were concerned with its conduct.
When the plan was first outlined it was put before
Dr. William F. Badè, then President of the Sierra Club. Its
merits and feasibility were enthusiastically endorsed by him and
subsequently by the Sierra Club formally. This endorsement went far
toward bringing the enterprise to the favorable attention of the people
in Washington and in Yosemite Valley, to whom we later found it needful
to appeal for material help of various kinds.
Mr. Stephen T. Mather, Director of National Parks,
besides personally contributing to the fund for field work, has rendered
aid in other ways. Financial help, at a time when this was most needed,
was received also from Mr. George W. Marston of San Diego and from Mr.
James D. Phelan of San Francisco.
The National Park Service of the Federal Government
granted the special permits necessary for the taking of specimens within
the boundaries of the Yosemite National Park. Many of the local
employees of the same Service rendered valuable aid. To Mr. Gabriel
Souvelewsky, then Supervisor of Yosemite Park, we owe grateful
acknowledgment for immediate and practically expressed interest in our
program of field work in the winter of 1914-15. Among others in the
Valley who have helped us materially we may mention in particular
Messrs. W. B. Lewis, E. P. Leavitt, Forest S. Townsley, Ansel F. Hall,
Charles C. Bull, Charles W. Michael, N. L. Guiberson, and the late
George W. Bell. Information on specific and general questions has been
freely furnished by these men, and many valuable specimens have been
secured through them for the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. Many of the
organizations engaged in business connected with Yosemite Valley aided
our enterprise by granting special privileges. Among these are to be
named the Yosemite Valley Railroad Company, The Yosemite Transportation
Company, The Sentinel Hotel, and The Curry Camping Company. The Sierra
Club, during the field season of 1915, gave us the use of their pack
train.
The colored and wash drawings used for illustrating
the present volume were executed by Major Allan Brooks upon the basis of
Yosemite materials. The skill of Mrs. Frieda L. Abernathy was very
helpful in preparing the line drawings. The photographs used were taken
in course of our regular field work except four whose outside sources
are acknowledged in their respective captions. To Professor Oliver M.
Washburn, Manager of the University of California Press, we are indebted
for important help in assembling the illustrations that appear in this
book. And to Mr. Joseph W. Flinn, Superintendent of the University
Printing Office, we hereby express our appreciation of his personal
interest in guiding the work through the press.
The United States Bureau of Plant Industry and the
University of California Division of Forestry aided in the determination
of seeds found in the cheek pouches of chipmunks. The United States
Bureau of Biological Survey determined the crop and gizzard contents of
a number of birds. Dr. Harvey M. Hall identified numerous plants
submitted to him.
Much information and many vertebrate specimens have
been obtained from Mr. Donald D. McLean, whose home is at Dudley, on
Smith Creek, six miles (airline) east of the town of Coulterville. Mr.
McLean's parents and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. John L. McLean and Mr. Walter
Dudley, also aided us in many ways while field work was going on in
their neighborhood.
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