Descriptive Summary
Administrative Information
Biographical/historical note
Scope and Contents note
Arrangement note
Descriptive Summary
Title: Walter P. Taylor papers
Identifier/Call Number: MVZA.MSS.0139
Contributing Institution:
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.1 Cubic feet
Date (inclusive): 1904-1915
Abstract: The Walter P. Taylor papers include field notes, manuscripts, and photographs. These materials offer insight into the work
done by Taylor between 1904-1915.
Creator:
Taylor, Walter P. (Walter Penn), 1888-1972
Administrative Information
Conditions governing access
The collection is open for research.
Preferred citation
Walter P. Taylor papers, MVZA.MSS.0139, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives, University of California, Berkeley.
Conditions governing use
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.
Biographical/historical note
Walter P. Taylor (1888-1972), a biologist and educator, was a significant contributor to ornithology in the Northwestern United
States. He received his PhD from UC Berkeley in 1914, and served as Assistant Curator of Mammals at MVZ from 1909-1911 and
Curator of Mammals from 1911-1916. He began his role as Assistant Biologist in 1916 with the Biological Survey (USDA), and
retired as Senior Biologist in 1951 with the Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior (USDI). He also was
a professor with numerous U.S. colleges and universities. Additionally, he contributed over 300 short papers, bulletins, and
technical publications in the fields of systematic zoology, ecology and conservation.
Sources Consulted:
Alcorn, Gordon D. "In Memoriam: Walter Penn Taylor."
The Murrelet, 53, 3 (1972): 41. Accessed June 12, 2013.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3535229/.
Lehmann, Valgene W. "Obituaries: Walter P. Taylor, 1888-1972."
The Journal of Wildlife Management, 36, 4 (1972): 1379-1380. Accessed June 12, 2013.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3799296/.
Scope and Contents note
The Walter P. Taylor papers consist of eleven standard-bound volumes of field notes, including specimen and habitat sketches.
The volumes span the years 1908-1915, with localities in California and Nevada. In addition to the eleven volumes, a manuscripts
folder focuses on an MVZ expedition to Humboldt Co., Nevada in 1909, with specimen data, specimen measurements, and maps.
A photographs folder contains landscape images from Humboldt Co., Nevada; these photographs accompanied an article titled
"Field notes on amphibians, reptiles and birds of northern Humboldt County, Nevada, with a discussion of some of the faunal
features of the region", published in University of California Publications in Zoology, Volume 7, Number 10 (1912). A third
folder holds non-standard bound field notes from 1907-1909 that includes descriptions of a field encounter with Joseph Grinnell.
Arrangement note
The collection has been arranged in the following series: Field notes, Manuscripts, and Photographs. Within Field notes, there
are two subseries: MVZ standard binding and MVZ non-standard binding.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Biological specimens--Collection and preservation.
Biological specimens--Identification
Biology Fieldwork
Cataloging--Specimens.
Scientific expeditions--California
Scientific expeditions--Nevada
University of California (1868-1952). Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
Field notes
Photographs