Clarke (Frank C.) field notes, 1912-1913

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Summary

Title:
Frank C. Clarke field notes
Dates:
1912-1913
Creators:
Clarke, Frank C., 1887-1958
Abstract:
The Frank C. Clarke Field Notes collection consists of field notes, specimen records, investigations, and some experiments completed in California between 1912-1913.
Containers:
Volume: 1
Volume: 2
Extent:
2.0 Volumes
Language:
Preferred citation:

Frank C. Clarke Field Notes, MVZA.MSS.0063, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives, University of California, Berkeley.

Background

Scope and content:

The Frank C. Clarke Field Notes collection consists of 2 bound volumes spanning the years 1912-1913. The notes include interviews, mostly informal, of residents and visitors surrounding survey sites and species accounts from localities within California. Consists primarily of investigations into deer populations and behavior with some attention to hunting and conservation. Some of the field notes contain investigations and experiments on sick ducks in the Kings County area of Southern California. Investigations and experiments include records of duck species numbers, dissections and post mortem examinations of sick ducks, as well as experiments to determine the cause of sickness.

Biographical / historical:

Frank C. Clarke was born in 1887 on the Clarke family ranch near Laytonville, Mendocino County, California. He graduated cum laude from UC Berkeley in 1911 and earned his Master's degree in 1912 with a major in Entomology and Parasitology before returning to the family ranch. For a short time Clarke accepted employment with the California Fish and Game Commission establishing the skeletal differences between male and female deer. This information was later used to convict hunters who attempted to pass off killed does as bucks.

Clarke worked to compile data on the working of his ranch, making him one of the leading authorities on brush clearance, wildlife management, and range improvement. Working with his sheep flock, Clarke initiated breeding programs to improve their quality. In addition, he developed a method of preparing a roll of fleece that became known among buyers as the best in California. His fleeces also took championships in Chicago, Denver, Portland, and Texas wool shows of which Clarke was an early participant. His dedication to the sheep industry eventually earned Clarke an election to the president of the California Wool Growers Association.

Clarke began working with the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ) at the University of California at Berkeley during his time at the University as a graduate student. During Clarke’s decades long relationship with the MVZ, he contributed 225 animal samples and two volumes of field notes from wildlife surveys conducted within California.

Arrangement:

The arrangement of the collection is chronological and in its original form. The sections are bound in the order presented in this guide.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Chris Gordon
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection was made possible through funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources' "Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives" Project.
Date Prepared:
March 2015
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2015-04-01T10:38-0700

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright restrictions may apply. All requests to publish, quote, or reproduce must be submitted to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives in writing for approval. Please contact the Museum Archivist for further information.

Preferred citation:

Frank C. Clarke Field Notes, MVZA.MSS.0063, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives, University of California, Berkeley.

Location of this collection:
3101 Valley Life Sciences Bldg, #3160
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-3160, US
Contact:
(510) 642-3567
mvzarchives@berkeley.EDU
Website