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Inventory to the field notes of Frank C. Clarke at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at University of California, Berkeley. MVZA.MSS.0063
MVZA.MSS.0063  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Descriptive Summary
  • Administrative Information
  • Biographical/Historical note
  • Scope and Contents note
  • Arrangement note

  • Descriptive Summary

    Title: Frank C. Clarke field notes
    Identifier/Call Number: MVZA.MSS.0063
    Contributing Institution: Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives
    Language of Material: English
    Container: 1
    Container: 2
    Physical Description: 2.0 Volumes
    Date (inclusive): 1912-1913
    Abstract: The Frank C. Clarke Field Notes collection consists of field notes, specimen records, investigations, and some experiments completed in California between 1912-1913.
    Creator: Clarke, Frank C., 1887-1958

    Administrative Information

    Conditions Governing Access note

    The collection is open for research.

    Preferred Citation

    Frank C. Clarke Field Notes, MVZA.MSS.0063, 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

    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.

    Scope and Contents note

    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.

    Arrangement note

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

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Anas carolinensis
    Biology--Fieldwork
    Birds Research
    Blue-winged teal
    Cataloging--Specimens.
    Deer
    Deer hunting
    Deer--Ecology
    Ducks
    Ecology--California
    Elk Behavior
    Field notes
    Interview collection
    Mallard
    Mule deer Behavior
    Platalea
    Research reports and papers
    Scientific expeditions--California
    University of California (1868-1952). Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
    White-tailed deer Behavior
    Zoology Experiments