SOUTHWESTERN RESEARCH STATION

Hunting parties are again probing the wild, rocky canyon vastness of the Chiricahua Mountains, just 70 years ago strongholds of the fierce Apache and the ruthless Curley Bill gang. Armed with briefcases, nylon nets, modern scientific equipment, field manuals, and an unquenchable curiosity, these new huntsmen are the scores of scientists who each year visit, and work out of the American Museum of Natural History Southwestern Research Station.

Established in May, 1955, the Research Station, lying five miles from Portal, Arizona, is situated in Cave Creek Canyon, tucked neatly away amid eastern buttresses of the Chiricahuas.

Pronounced "Cheery-cows" when oldtimers reminisce about them, these Peaks always have been abundant hunting grounds. In their canyons, few Apaches were ever without game. Early outlaws also discovered a perfect retreat in their recesses.

A Biologist's Paradise

Now, for the scientist, the Chiricahuas will continue to be a hunting ground, a collecting haven, a retreat, and for good reason. For, nowhere in Arizona, and for that matter, the entire United States, can there be found in profusion, such an aggregation of little-known, hard-tofind plants, insects, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

Why? Because of the unique geographical position of this mountain mass. Surrounded by deserts, Chihuahuan to the south and east, and Sonoran to the west, the Chiricahuas are virtually an island, 40 miles long and 20 miles wide, reposing in a desert sea.

Thus, lower slopes and surrounding alluvial plains produce desert flora and fauna, while highest peaks sustain and harbor Hudsonian plant and animal life.

With each 1,000 feet of altitude, plant and animal forms change conspicuously, enough so, for the ease of study, students of natural history have placed them into life zones. Certain plants are usually indicative of a particular zone.

Five Life Zones in Less Than an Hour

The creosote bush, mesquite, and cholla cactus dot deserts of the Lower Sonoran or Lower Austral Zone. Sign posts for the Upper Sonoran or Upper Austral Zone are yuccas, agaves, ocotillos, and sycamores, to name a few. The Transition Zone yields pinyon pine, walnut, live oaks, manzanita, and cypress. Good examples of the Canadian Zone are ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. The Hudsonian Zone is resplendent in spruce forests and aspen groves.

Less than an hour's ride from the foot of the Chiricahuas to their top-most crags traverses all these life zones.

Overlapping distributions of mammals, reptiles, and insects, as well as eastern and western bird species, indicate a "mixing-bowl" environment-a fascinating sidelight for ornithologists and other scientist specialists.

Add to this the proximity of Mexico, with its host of varied and exotic subtropical life forms which occasionally slip into the mountains, and there is hardly any question about the Chiricahuas being a biologist's and botanist's paradise. Experts believe that 2,000 of the more than 3,300 known Arizona plant species thrive in these mountains.

Related Natural History Fields

Aside from exotic and bountiful life, the Chiricahua region should prove intriguing to the paleontologist as well as to the geologist. Millions of years ago, a large sea extended northward into Utah. When waters receded, volcanic pressure thrust the Chiricahua range from the basin's floor. Abundant evidence lies in the invertebrate fossils found in underlying limestone beds and in extruded strata.

Animal fossils are well zoned in the Paradise forma-tion, extending 13 miles northeast from Portal. Laid down when the great coal deposits were formed, this strata can be correlated with formations of the Mississippian period. At that time, the Great Basin Sea and the Paradise Sea extended east to the present Mississippi Valley. Classified fossil fauna number 155 forms in the Paradise formation alone. In addition, hundreds of feet of fossiliferous rock lie exposed in the Chiricahua region.

tion, extending 13 miles northeast from Portal. Laid down when the great coal deposits were formed, this strata can be correlated with formations of the Mississippian period. At that time, the Great Basin Sea and the Paradise Sea extended east to the present Mississippi Valley. Classified fossil fauna number 155 forms in the Paradise formation alone. In addition, hundreds of feet of fossiliferous rock lie exposed in the Chiricahua region.

Archeology in the Portal area area chiefly concerns the Cochise Culture which emerged and flourished from 8,000 B.C. to about 3,000 B.C. It presents an interesting evolution since three stages developed, the Sulphur Springs, the Chiricahua, and the San Pedro.

Cultural evidence identified with the Chiricahua stage has been associated with middens and hearths uncovered along eastern foothill slopes. The pattern of this stage was established from an excavated midden found close by the Station. Pictographs portraying these prehistoric life stages can be studied in alcoves found in nearby cliffs. Even the "Spelunker," that hardy breed of subter-

The Best Site in North America

Even the "Spelunker," that hardy breed of subter-

ranean explorer and naturalist, has a chance to make a name for himself. Besides small caves, an unexplored cavern containing many levels lies within walking distance of the Station. A large body of water, or possibly a river, has been reported within the depths. With all these added elements of natural science, is it any wonder why this mountain range was selected as the best site in North America for the American Museum's Research Station? Here is a confined area containing five life zones. Mix in a generous bonus of available, related natural history fields for good measure. And the Chiricahuas loom up as top-drawer billing for any group interested in biological research.

Dr. Mont A. Cazier, Station Director

Actually, the Research Station is a result of a tenyear project by Dr. Mont A. Cazier, Chairman and Curator, Department of Insects and Spiders, American Museum of Natural History. Dr. Cazier first presented the plan over a morning cup of coffee to David Rockefeller, a patron of the American Museum in New York. The significance of Cazier's suggestion was immediate, and with Rockefeller's support, Cazier began his tremendous work.

Dr. Cazier considered a multitude of reports, conducted personal investigations and traveled thousands of miles to narrow down the location. Finally, Southeastern Arizona appeared to offer best possibilities. Cazier had collected insect specimens in the State many times since 1935. The number of species discovered on each occasion always amazed him. It was his conclusion that the Chiricahuas were the finest biological area in the United States. With this locality in mind, Dr. Cazier sent 127 letters, outlining the purpose and facilities of a proposed research unit to important scientists located throughout the U.S. Each was polled on opinions as to the justification of the proposal, if they could use such a laboratory, what projects they could suggest that might be undertaken most profitably at such an installation now or in the future, and if possible, how many workers would be involved. Response was immediate and overwhelming. For every inquiry, two affirmative answers were received. With such a show of enthusiasm, David Rockefeller purchased 43.75 acres for the Museum from the original Reed homestead, located in Cave Creek Canyon. Never has Dr. Cazier been sorry about this decision. Every few days some delighted scientist reaffirms his opinion.

A 1,000,000 Acre Proving Ground

A Canadian by birth, but Arizonan by choice, resident director, Mont Cazier is a witty, easy going, Ph.D., whose plain jargon fits in well with the Station's neighbors in this ranch country. He can nail down a row of shingles or mend a corral chute as expertly as he can identify a minute insect. Cazier's straightforward manner makes him a well-liked friend among cowmen and businessmen of Southeastern Arizona.

As a result, ranchers near the Station have made their ranges available for study in an unofficial sort of way. This land, combined with the adjacent Coronado Forest, provides more than 1,000,000 acres accessible for research. With such cooperation, and through his foresight, this dynamic scientist is forging a modern center of research in a remote desert canyon.

During the Station's initial year, a portion of the main ranch house substituted for the laboratory. Though a large lab was planned, it was soon evident that it must be started immediately to accommodate all the scientists attracted by numerous and divergent research possibilities.

The Osborn Memorial Laboratory

A year later, in May 1956, the Osborn Memorial Laboratory was completed. Dr. Mabel S. Ingalls donated this needed addition and dedicated it in memory of the late Dr. Henry Fairfield Osborn. He had been connected with the American Museum of Natural History for many years as a paleontologist.

The lab incorporates unique modern features. All outside walls are glass fabricated for better illumination. 272 feet of linear bench space enables twenty researchers to work side by side at various projects with ease.

Two pieces of equipment provide insight into what otherwise may be hypothetical problems. Climatizers are available for changing atmospheric environment on specimens ranging from tropical to polar conditions. Each is shaped somewhat like an oven with a glass panel for observation.

A sonograph is used to literally depict a visual description of bird calls, insect and reptile noises and mammal cries. Recorded calls and cries on regular hi-fi tape are fed through the machine. These noises are then transcribed on a cylinder graph. Each sound produces its own peculiar pattern.

A constant temperature room, dark room, three lab-oratory rooms, drying ovens, library, water distiller, 110 and 220 electrical outlets are other important items.

Immediate Availability of All Lab Facilities

Probably the most singular feature of the lab and its equipment is the immediate availability of all facilities to scientists working directly in the field. As a matter of fact, it is possible to net a little-known insect with one hand while opening the laboratory door with the other. More than 120,000 insect specimens were collected at the Station during 1956, including hundreds of species. Most of the insects were collected close to laboratory lights or in a clover patch less than 100 feet away.

The Osborn laboratory is located at 5400 feet altitude, ideally situated for men working in desert regions, as well as those working working at higher elevations. Either way, the lab is less than a 30-minute drive from the Sonoran Zone or the Hudsonian Zone. Its great advantage over most biological labs is the negligible amount of time consumed by scientists in bringing specimens from the field to the lab for analysis. A fresh specimen always insures better insight into its physical structure.

Cazier emphasizes that lab facilities and the South-western Research Station in general will be used by "everyone who can prove a need"-and in this respect, Arizona colleges and universities will be high on the list. "We have no wish," he adds, "to make it appear that out-of-state-scientists or the Museum itself will have first choice of our facilities. This is a project which we hope will eventually enrich America's knowledge of the universe."

Scientists at Work

That the Station is not partial is evidenced by visits of such diversified and famous researchers as Dr. C. P. Alexander, University of Massachusetts. This renowned entomologist entomologist is the world's authority on the Crane fly, a king-sized mosquito-like insect. At 16. Dr. Alexander became interested in these flying insects. Now, at 67, he has personally examined and described more than 8,000 species of this fly, or roughly 1% of the world's class of insects! An inspiring conversationalist with a sense of humor, he has tutored and qualified more students to high posts in entomology throughout the U.S. than any other professor.

Our own Dr. E. Lendell Cockrum, University of Arizona, has begun important research with the banding of bats using the Station as headquarters. It is the first large scale bat-banding study in the Southwest.

From recoveries of banded bats, it is hoped to learn something about their movements and longevity. Preliminary evidence indicates that some of the 20 species of bats known from this area spend their summer months high in the pines and the winter months at low elevations around the base of the Chiricahuas. Other kinds are thought to spend their summers in these mountains and their winters in Mexico.

For a number of years, rabies has been cropping up in bats in many parts of the United States. Dr. Cockrum is working closely with the State Health Laboratories in Phoenix in their studies of the five cases of bat rabies reported in Arizona. Some Public Health workers think that rabies may be brought into the U.S. each spring by bats returning from spending a winter in Mexico. Dr. Cockrum hopes to prove by his banded studies whether bats actually do migrate to Mexico and to discover which of the 20 species are involved.

Plant rust specialist, Dr. George Cummins, of Purdue University, conducted inoculation experiments with grass rusts on other host vegetation. His findings at the Center will some day be published in a contemplated book, Grass Rusts of the World.

The Southwest's expert in the field of herpetology, Dr. Robert C. Stebbins, University of California, conducted further experiments concerning the "third eye" of lizards. Stebbins has found a direct relation between solar radiation and the eye's function. Since they are cold blooded animals, these experiments attempt to show the organ acts as a thermostat, regulating the reptile's activities. He is also the author of Reptiles of North America, recently published.

One of the youngest scientists working at the Station, ornithologist, Dr. Wesley Lanyon, who taught a year at the University of Arizona, has been recently appointed to the American Museum of Natural History as Assistant Curator of Birds. He is making rapid strides with a new method of recording songs and calls in the field with a final analysis by sonograph. These recordings are then associated with closely related and similar appearing species to see if such birds will respond. By observation he will be able to tell whether it is the sound or plumage or combination which attracts the mate. This has long been a puzzle to bird men.

An authority on army ants, Dr. T. C. Schneirla, American Museum, dropped in on the Station to make a survey on possible habitats of these ants in the Chiricahuas. His search didn't take long, however. In fact, it was just a step over the treshold and there at his door lay an active colony. Since, he has been working out their behavior, as he has done on South American species. Living a partially nomadic life, army ants make regular raids on other ant nests.

Internationally known geneticist, Dr. Theodosius Dobzhansky, Columbia University, furthered his research at the Station. His outstanding work has been a chromosomal analysis of the fruit fly. These insects are chosen for study because they reproduce quickly and abundantly, then, too their genetic elements are large, making them casier to work with.

Geneticists have used X-rays and other radiation material to bombard the fly's chromosomes, and thus, have developed new species. These include fruit flies with red eyes, as well as wingless and sightless species, two other important man-induced varieties.

Applied and Pure Science Go Hand In Hand

Dr. James R. Beer, University of Minnesota, continued a parasite distribution study on rodents, a project which he has worked on for several years. To obtain enough data for a series, he has trapped more than 900 specimens, including desert mice, pack rats, and kangaroo rats.

His trapping system consists of a five mile trap line of ordinary mouse traps set about 25 feet apart and baited with peanut butter.

After skinning the rodents, hair and hide are put into special solvents which leave only the tiny, intact skeleton of the mite or louse. Parasite populations are then tabulated from each rodent. Findings may have far reaching consequences, since his count shows that every so often a mature rodent is found without parasites of any kind. If the reason can be found, perhaps a method will be devised for ridding other animals of these troublesome and sometimes fatal pests.

Results of experiments of this sort bring up an important point which Dr. Cazier has reemphasized many times. And that is, the Station is open to any scientist, whether he may be working on a pure research basis, or whether his work may benefit an applied science directly. Certainly both fields go hand in hand. Many forms of crop dusting insecticides have been produced because experiments in totally different areas suggested the way.

83 Projects Started Last Year

Though only a sampling, these men and others included in last year's array of visiting scientists read like a Who's Who of the Science world. During this time, 83 projects were begun, supervised by 89 scientist specialists and 43 students. These men represented 20 states and 19 universities, including Arizona State at Tempe, and the University of Arizona, as well as the Arizona Fish and Game Commission.

Besides universities and colleges, scientists arrived from the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Pa.; the California Academy of Sciences at San Francisco; the American Museum of Natural History, N.Y., and the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum at Tucson. There were also 20 persons with individual problems in the science field. This proves beyond any doubt the importance of the Southwestern Research Station to Arizona.

Ranch Style Living With a Scientific Atmosphere

For the best economy of time, while the scientists work at the Station, Dr. Cazier has kept the mode of living as informal as possible. Each scientist regulates his own hours. Lights glowing in the lab until 12 and 1 o'clock at night proves that each minute is precious at the Research Station. Every researcher and family have a cabin to themselves. In all, there are accommodations for as many as ten families or sixty individuals besides a camp ground. Meals are furnished.

The Station has a scientific approach with a ranch style atmosphere. A vigorously shaken cow bell announces breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Dining room windows look out on an expanse of lawn complete with lily pond. A swimming pool sparkles in the distance.

Rustling supplies and doing all ranch work connected with the Station is foreman, Scotty Anderson's job. A woodsman scientist in his own right, Scotty's keen knowledge of the Chiricahuas has been invaluable when scientific apparatus has had to be "packed in" to otherwise inaccessible points of the mountains.

Research Linked with Arizona's Growth

Nestling in a canyon on a small flat, the Station basks serenely, belying its incessant web of activity. On either side, towering escarpments of variegated red and orange igneous rock slant skyward. Appliqued with chartreuse lichens, the sheer walls grudgingly permit travelers through the defile past the Station.

Opposite the Center, cliffs sweep generously away, forming an amphitheatre, a dozen miles across. In this vast coliseum, Arizona has offered another frontier dedicated to science. As a State, our future growth will depend largely on increased research. In many respects, the Southwestern Research Station will be leading the way.