Exploration in the Sierra de San Pedro Martir and Isla de Guadalupe. Baja California.
By Professor Jose Maria Gallegos.
I was commissioned by the Direccion de Estudios Biologicos, to present to you a work that would summarize the main natural riches I discovered during the explorations I had the luck to undertake at the northern region of the Californian peninsula. I should let you know, that I am not pretending to write extensively enough to describe the endless riches that the region holds; this is but a simple conversation and broad outline about the principal explorations I carried out in those far off lands, specifically on the Sierra de San Pedro Martir and the Isla de Guadalupe, the latter situated west of the northern part of the Californian Peninsula. (Pic. 1)
In large part during the explorations I conducted, I had the pleasure of being accompanied by foreign naturalists from different scientific institutions in the United States, such as the California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco), Scripps Institute for Biological Research in La Jolla, California and the San Diego Natural History Museum in California.
Among the expeditions I conducted in the Distrito Norte of Baja California, the one I will be referring to is the one to the Sierra of San Pedro Martir for being one of the highest places in the peninsula, as there are some points (Pico de la Providencia) that reach more than 11,000 feet above sea level.
To embark on this expedition I set out accompanied by Mr. Lawrence Huey, head of the vertebrate department at the San Diego Natural History Museum and other members, departing from San Diego and Tijuana to Ensenada (Pic. 2), where the other members of the expedition joined us: Dr. Jhon Van Derburgh, A.W. Anthony and Joseph R. Slevin, of the California Academy of Sciences, (San Francisco). In the first days of the month of June of the present year, (Ed. Note: 1923) we began our march towards the South, passing through "Maneadero", Valle de Santo Tomas, (Pic. 3) San Vicente, and San Antonio del Mar (Pic. 4) until we arrived at San Telmo (Pic. 5), a place relatively close to the port of San Quintin on the Pacific coast.
From San Telmo we headed east, passing through an extensive desert valley of the same name, until arriving at a place called "Las Cabras," (Pic. 6) which is the last point accessible by car and automobiles because it is situated at the foot of the ramifications of the Sierra de San Pedro Martir.
In this place the impedimenta was sorted out, making use of horses and pack animals (Pic. 7), we marched on towards the high point of the Sierra, passing through San Jose, Socorro, La Joya, Valladares and Vallecitos, until arriving at a type of plateau or small valley named "La Grulla"; and continuing on to "La Encantada" (Pic. 8) where a camp was established as a headquarter in a place located between these last two points of reference; "La Encantada" being another of the highest in the sierra, at an altitude of about 3,000 meters above sea level. (According to the measure given by the naturalist A.W. Anthony's altimeter).
We would depart from the camp daily to different areas of the sierras to considerable distances, with the purpose of collecting diverse samples, noting the innumerable riches held by this far off land; and sometimes needing to return to the headquarters after two or more days in order to arrange the samples we had collected after gazing upon the beauty of its magnificent forest (Pic. 9), whose emerald color contrasts with the granitic rocks which form the wide belt in the central part of the peninsula.
The primary wealth of these forests (and that closely resemble the Sierra of San Bernardino and in part the Sierra Nevada, in the western part of the United States, and in global fame), is the different species of pines, the predominant being the "pino Amarillo" (yellow pine) (Pinus ponderosa Jefrey) (Pic. 10), Pinus coulteri, Pinus edulis and the "sugar pine" (Pinus lambertiana) (Pic. 11).
This sugar pine, as it is commonly known, was discovered by David Douglas in late 1826 in the southern region of the state of Oregon, USA; and he considered it the king of the pines for its lushness and majestic appearance in the places in which it grows.
In the northern part of this sierra, the Sierra de Juarez, the Pinus contorta exists in abundance; another of the most common pine trees of the region, also to be found in relative abundance, described by the famous naturalist, Parry, is the Pinus cuadrifolia, the second rarest in the world, the first place belonging to the Pinus torreyana, which only exists in the southern region of the State of California in the United States, near La Jolla in San Diego County. I had the honor of receiving Torrey pine seeds as a gift to the Botanical Garden of Chapultepec.
The eastern side of the Sierra of San Pedro Martir forms large cliffs that give way to the desert formation, which extends towards the Gulf of California. The western side, on the other hand, forms slopes that gradually descend towards the Pacific coast, with canyons that give birth to various rivers and streams such as La Grulla, Valladares, Vellecitos, San Rafael, etc. Additionally, there are beautiful forests also made of pines, different species of encinos or oaks (Quercus palmeri, Quercus chrysolepsis, Quercus dumosa) and various species of Manzanita (Arctostaphylos).
The beauty of these forests is truly impressive, but unfortunately this beauty, admired by nationals and foreigners, is destined to disappear because of the frequent and formidable fires (Pic. 12) that are almost always intentionally started by rural peasants who follow an old tradition, and whose only excuse (as they themselves say) is "so as to not lose the livestock." But no matter how much they are lectured against this disastrous habit and the consequences it will bring, the only response they give is "without the fires, we would lose our livestock!" and the livestock they refer to is a single cow or bull that might lose its way.
Sometimes in order to get the honeycombs found high in the pine trees, they'll cut down large trees, and there is no comparison between the price of the tree they destroy and the honey they get from it.
All this indicates a need for intense labor on the part of the Secretaria de Agricultura y Fomento against these deeply-rooted traditions whose fatal consequences need no explanation.
In the canyons located in the higher parts of the sierra and in the river banks such as those of "La Encantada" and "La Grulla" grow, amongst the pines I have been referencing, Alamos (Populus tremuloides), common to these high regions; sauco (Sambucus glauca), orchids, plants commonly known as "zapatilla de senorita" (lady's slipper) (Cypripedium montanum), confiturilla (Ceanothus sorediatus) and others. Between the granitic rocks grows another plant particular to the sierra, called "flor de la roca" (flower of the rock) (Monardella macranthus), whose red color contrasts greatly against the pale colors of the rocks.
Most of the plants I collected on this exploration, and which can be found in the Direccion de Estudios Biologicos, Balderas 94, I also took pictures of them as found in their natural habitat. After arranging them conveniently in a botanical press, I mounted them on special paper, adding related photographs, to give a better idea of the plant being observed. These flora displays are currently being exhibited in museums in San Diego and San Francisco, California, in the United States.
In the slopes that gradually descend toward the Pacific coast, the principal flora is comprised largely of mid to larger-sized shrubs, whose heights varied from 1 to 3 meters, and dominated by various species of brushwood (Eriogonum fasciculatum and polifolium), canutillo (Ephedra californica), a plant used by natives to create an infusion taken as tea for its medicinal properties, various types of Castilleja (californiaca, stenthanthe and martini), commonly known as "painter's brush," various types of Yuccas (Hesperoyucca Whippley) (Pic. 13), torote (Fouquieria splendens), copa de ora (golden cup), commonly known as "poppies" (Eschscholtzia peninsularis), hierba del manso (Anamiopsis californica), a large amount of cacti --Echinocactus, Echinocereus, Pachycereus, and different types of Opuntias, whose variety is of notice in the Californian peninsula.
The fauna's wealth in this zone is of an incalculable value. Representing large game mammals are the antelope and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), and wild sheep (Ovis montana) which were on the brink of extinction from hunting had it not been for the energetic measures that the Supremo Gobierno passed for their protection. However, despite the ban there are still large numbers of poachers who ignore the laws and kill as many antelope and wild sheep to sell at a good price in the United States where they cannot be acquired, despite the fact that they exist in the region, due to the country's gaming laws, which are intensely respected.
There are also lions, tigers, pumas and other felines; sierra deer (Pic. 14) (Odocoileus hemionus californicus), foxes (Urocyon cinereo argentatus californicus) and others can be seen at the exhibition I mentioned earlier.
Among the smaller mammals, imagine a jackrabbit in the high parts of the sierra, unusual in its size (Lepus californicus), very rare, and that differs greatly in size and color from the black hare of the Isla de Espiritu Santo (Lepus insularis); different types of squirrels, drawing great attention in terms of commercial value because of the beauty of their coats are the so-called "cola grande" (big tail) (Sciurus griseus Anthony); I had the luck of obtaining on this occasion some pine squirrels (Sciurus douglasii mearnsi), more than any other scientific expedition has captured, because they are very difficult to trap since they live so high in the tallest pines. Among others collected, as verified by Edward Nelson, is the rock squirrel (Merriam chipmunk) or "chichimoco" (Eutamias merriami) (Pic. 15); the famous kangaroo-rat of the Dipodomys genus, notable for its fur which is used in women's coats due to its long hair which is finer than silk.
The many other fauna samples that have gone unmentioned so as not to fatigue attention, can be seen in the fore-mentioned exhibit.
Among the many birds, ranging from the largest such as the condor, which in this region can compete in size with those of South America found in the southern end of the Andes mountain area (according to the foreign naturalists who accompanied me on this trip and who have been to different parts of South America); unfortunately this bird of colossal size does not spread in our regions as would be hoped because of the practices of California Indians of hunting for nests in the hollows between rocks where the birds lay a single egg (as in petrel nests) for use in religious ceremonies. And when asked where the nests are, they do not say because of their selfish character and especially because of the fear of being deprived of the condor eggs used in their religious practices.
Because of its location in the transitional zone between the fauna of the Southwestern United States and that of the intertropical regions, there are also birds characteristic to the aforementioned region of the United States. However, in this transitional zone, some bird species vary, as is the case with the mountain quail (Pic. 16), common in colder regions (Oreortyx picta confinis) and those from the Cuyamaca sierra in the United States classified as Oreortyx picta plumifera, noticeable after having collected a good number of samples of this species.
There is also a great abundance of valley quails (Lophortyx vallicola californica), smaller than the last (Pic. 17); sparrow hawks (Falco sparverius phalaena), bluebirds (Cyanocephalus cyanocephalus) smaller blue birds, common to these regions (Sialia mexicana anabelae), notable for the tonality in the color of its plumage of blue-turquoise or Prussian blue, as classified by naturalist A.W. Anthony, member of the same expedition. I collected various woodpecker specimens (Pic. 18) (Colaptes cafer collaris), as well as their nests; acorn woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus bairdi) and Nuttal woodpecker (Dryobates nuttalli), the latter being described by naturalist Gambel; Junco oreganus townsendi; calandria (Pic. 19) (Pyranga ludoviciana), "pecho amarillo" (yellow chest) (Icterus virens longicauda); different types of sparrows; "Martin-cazador" (Progne hesperia Brewster), Petrochelidon lunifrons lunifrons and a specimen with green feathers on its back, from the higher parts of the sierra, (Tachycineta thalassina lepida); hummingbirds (Calypte costae) and others; I was lucky to have been able to collect during this expedition over a thousand specimens of birds, mammals, insects, plants and reptiles; and to share with you that of those specimens taken by Dr. Jhon VanDerburgh, member of the California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco) and world-renown herpetologist, four were determined as new scientific species, one of which was named after the Director of Biological Research, Prof. Alfonso L. Herrera, for being recognized as one of the men of science, not only in this country, but also abroad. I am referring to the Lampropeltis herrerae.
I've kept photographs of most of the specimens collected and they can be seen in the same exhibition under the direction of the Direccion de Estudios Biologicos.
I must let you know that despite the care taken in carrying out this expedition in the most comprehensive way possible, the time allotted was not enough. (Pic. 20)
In short, I can say that I managed to collect more samples than the indicated number; but let me assure you that it is still insignificant in relation to the amount of land left unexplored, which will be accomplished through frequent expeditions, set up under the Direccion de Estudios Biologicos in the most comprehensive way possible, so that Mexicans are aware of our natural riches existing in the most forsaken corners of our country.
ISLA DE GUADALUPE
This island is the furthest in the country, northwest of the Baja California peninsula and situated at 29 degrees and 11 minutes North latitude and 118 degrees and 17 minutes West longitude passing through Greenwich (29 deg 11'N, 188 deg 17'W). It is 20 miles long (approximately from North to South) and from 3 to 12 miles at its widest point.
It is an enormous, emerged volcanic rock; the coast is generally rough and made up of cliffs, especially on the Northern side (Pic. 21) and is only accessible at three points, the principle one serving as an anchorage in the Northeastern part of the island (Pic. 22), as it provides the best shelter for boats and crafts. The large coastal cliffs being the highest in the North are almost always covered with fog (Pic. 23) that rises like a tuft of feathers and invades the scarce vegetation found there.
The water surrounding the island reaches great depths; just over five miles from the coast the probe reads 3720 mts. 96 cmts.; and little less than this depth all around the island.
I visited the island on two occasions; in July of the previous year and the same month this year, taking part in international expeditions organized by the Secretaria de Agricultura y Fomento and accompanied by members from different American scientific institutions.
(I am happy to state, with this objective, that the Department of Fishing and its praiseworthy chief, the agronomist Mr. Francisco Calles, like his predecessor, Mr. Saul Gomez Pezuela, have contributed efficiently and patriotically to the results of these expeditions, bringing together their representatives with those of the Biological Research Institute, especially Prof. Carlos Questa Terron. The film that will later be premiered was donated by the California Academy of Sciences and the aforementioned scientific institutes to the Directors of Fishing.)
On both occasions I visited the high parts and ran a course around the perimeter of the island, noting that reaching the summit requires facing many obstacles brought on by the rugged terrain, covered with loose, good-sized rocks. Climbing the very steep slopes, there are places to brace a foot upon loose and unstable volcanic rocks which can cause a climber to fall dangerously close to the nearby precipices.
In this high part there are altiplanos, (Pic. 24) the majority devoid of vegetation. Vegetation can be observed only in the highest elevations of this region (Pic. 25), whose highest point in the North reaches 4,500 ft. or 1368 meters, which is predominantly made up of cedar (Cupressus guadalupensis Watson) (Pic. 26), pine (Pinus insignis), very few oaks (Quercus sp) and palms (Erythraea edulis Wats), the last being abundant in the canyons and cliffs of the Northern region. (Pic. 27)
Among these trees there are other small plants which I've listed separately, such as the surf grass (Phillospadix torreyi Wats), though not very abundant, that the goats living on the island feed on.
This had been visited before by other scientific expeditions, among others, one organized by the naturalist Dr. Edward Palmer, who collected from February until May of 1875. He visited all the parts of the island and obtained 131 plant species. These were published by Sereno Watson in "Proceedings of the Academy of Arts and Sciences" XI, pg. 105. Of those 21 were unique to the island.
Dr. Palmer revisited the island in 1889 but for a very short period. From this visit a list was published of Palmer's collection by Dr. J.N. Rose in a brochure for "Contributions to the National Herbarium" in the United States, pages 1 and 21, from which four new species were found and 29 noted as particular to the island.
This visit was followed by other expeditions, such as that of Stanford University in California in 1897 and they collected 37 new species, of which three, a Tallinum, Frankenia, and a Phillospadix had not been noted before and now belong to a new genus of the referred island.
When Dr. Palmer conducted his explorations on the Island of Guadalupe in 1875, he considered it a paradise for its abundance of vegetation found not just in the higher elevations, but in reality the same remark cannot be made since according to statistics, due to the existence of more than 30,000 voracious wild goats, the vegetation is constantly being destroyed.
As a consequence of the destruction of the vegetation and as an inherent mechanism of the region's fauna, some animal species have disappeared. Some of the once innumerable bird species are no longer found, such as the Junco insularis and the Pipilo consobrinus, just to name a few. It can be said that there is actually a reduced number of bird species, the most predominant being the petrels (Oceanodroma keadinge Anthony), the sparrow (Carpodacus amplus) (Pic.28) which is particular to this island, distinguishable from those of the mainland by the amplitude of its beak, the wren (Salpinctes guadalupensis), the kestrel (Falco sparverius amoena) and others.
Among the mammals, the most predominant is the wild goat that lives in all corners of the island; though not very abundant, there are also domestic cats which became wild cats after being introduced into the island, as well as house rats undoubtedly brought inside the crates that carried goods for fishermen that were unloaded in the area,.
During the expedition I participated in the previous year, I found in the higher elevations of the island on an altiplano near the springs in the north (Pic. 29), a group of donkeys which later became wild after being abandoned by soldiers under General Perez Trevino who was on the island in 1916. Currently these donkeys are put to work carrying water from the springs to the camps by soldiers from a garrison that has been on the island for a few months.
Throughout the trip around the island I was accompanied by the herpetologist from the California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco), Mr. J.R. Slevin, with the goal of collecting reptiles, of which, it can be said, there is not even one specimen on the whole island.
One of the principal motives for the expedition of the previous year, besides the general biological exploration tasks, was to investigate the existence or non-existence of a marine mammal from the Phocideos family, the fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi), greatly valued for its coat, as well as to ascertain the state of the colony of one of the rarest marine mammals in the world and that exist only on the Island of Guadalupe: the elephant seal (Macrorhinus angustirostris Gill).
Referring to the first of these animals, the fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi) has been, since the beginning of the last century, the object of disastrous exploitation figuring more than 120,000 killed between 1801 and 1820 alone, with an average value of thirty dollars per coat. This means that in just this period alone, this Mexican island produced 3,800,000 pesos. (According to figures taken by Dr. Joaquin Palacios, member of the expedition).
This exuberant exploitation was continued primarily by whalers from Russia, Austria, and Norway, without paying a single cent to the Mexican government.
We were unable to find a single specimen, but instead found ruins of stone houses (Pic. 30) in the southern, eastern and western parts of the island that undoubtedly belonged to fishermen and next to them, (Pic. 31) there are still a large number of wooden posts sticking up from the ground whose use, as evident by the hairs adhered to them, clearly indicate that they had been used to stretch out the seal furs, allowing the sun to dry them. Furthermore, near the ruins of these houses there are rocks that were once the homes of these beautiful creatures, as evident by the rocks' polished surfaces, done by the seal (Arctocephalus townsendi) that is now unfortunately extinct. (Among the specimens collected, fragments of the aforementioned rocks and posts can be seen in the exhibition presented by the Direccion de Estudios Biologicos).
In regards to the elephant seals (Macrorhinus angustirostris Gill), one of the rarest mammals in the world that only exists on the Island of Guadalupe, I must relay to you that it is near extinction brought on by mass killings. Just over fifteen years ago there were millions counted, not only on this island but also on those of San Benito and others to the west of the California peninsula and other areas. But because of the ruthless killings by fishermen and pirates, these animals were quickly exterminated, disappearing from all areas except for a few on the Island of Guadalupe. The previous year we counted 267. (Pic. 32).
These animals live on the beach on the northwest side of the island which is accessible only by sea, due to the cliffs reaching up to 600 meters in height (Pic. 33). The bodies of these phocideos are shaped like a seals', in larger dimensions, distinguishable only by the shape of the flippers (Pic. 34) both front and back, and its head, the principal characteristic (Pic. 35) being a notable prolongation of the nose that reaches between 16 and 18 inches (nearly half a meter), from which its name is derived (Pic. 36). The males differ from the females in that the males have longer noses and the male adults grow to a length of 5 to 7 meters from head to tail, and weigh approximately over 4 tons (Pic. 37).
When we landed on the beach, we tried to make as little noise possible to avoid scaring off those lying on the beach so that we could count them (Pic. 38). But to my great surprise, I observed that as we counted them and got closer, they gave no sign at all of wanting to head into the water in fear of us. Instead, they remained in their places as if nothing had happened (Pic. 39).
Their neck is incredibly flexible and allows them to make rapid movements both forwards and backwards. With a man placed near and in front of them, they attack ferociously but the weight of their bodies makes them walk clumsily on the beach. In the water, on the other hand, they are extremely agile (Pic. 40). They are amphibians that remain mostly on land, using the time primarily to launch sand on themselves (Pic. 41) with their front flippers to keep cool and to get rid of mosquitoes, and often times they sleep (Pic. 42) with their bodies half-covered in sand from the beach they live on. With those same front flippers, not only do they throw sand, but also execute other movements and scratch themselves with ease (Pic. 43).
The trunk of these elephants is not prehensile like terrestrials, and up to now its use is unknown. We only observed that when this mammal lifts its head (Pic. 44) to emit a loud noise like a deep snore, the tip of the nose hangs inside the mouth against the pharyngeal wall. Other times when it attacks after feeling bothered, they contract the prolongation of the nose (Pic. 45).
They begin amongst themselves bloody battles in and out of the water and with their large tusks create gaping wounds in the neck, where there are many scars (Pic. 46).
Both times that I visited the island, in the month of July, it is good to mention that the elephants, especially the adults, shed their fur, loosing chunks in patches or layers.
In the summer the males and females are not together; it is unknown where the females go and despite the fact that they are rumored to go on long trips or hide out in caves, there is, however, no evidence that has been able to satisfy such scientific investigation.
The usefulness of this animal is of an incalculable value, based on the fact that it is the only species that exists in the world; in addition, its skin is highly esteemed and its blubber is finer than even that of whales, thus the primary lure of hunters and pirates.
As a result of the first expedition, there was a need to organize a meeting or assembly in San Francisco, California last year, attended by members from different scientific institutions, of which I was happy to be a part of. Among the various issues discussed by the assembly, was the proposal to the Mexican government to declare the Island of Guadalupe as part of the federal land reserve (Reserva Federal) in order to avoid all types of exploitation of, and to protect the elephant seal, the only species in the world and to prevent it from having the same fate as the fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi), now sadly extinct. And as a resolution worthy of great praise on behalf of our government, by presidential decree, the Island of Guadalupe has now been declared a federal reserve since October of last year and a small garrison has been erected to protect our riches that Mexico keeps there like a treasure no other nation has.
As an immediate result, on the second expedition we noticed that upon counting the elephants, of the 267 elephants we counted last year, this year we counted approximately 335, keeping in mind that only males are present around this time (June), and assuming that (as said by the naturalist A.W. Anthony, a member of the expedition) there are the same number of females, gives a figure of no less than 700 adults in breeding season, and to which an unknown number of youths must be added, giving a total of no less than 1200 specimens; which indicates that the colony has grown between 20 to 25 percent. If they continue to be protected as they are now, it is likely that in the near future, the Isla de Guadalupe will have numerous colonies with considerable commercial value. (Pic. 47)
Last year a large number of specimens were collected for our Natural History Museum and in this second expedition one of the biggest (Pic. 48) as well as a small, about one-year-old, live specimen of this mammal were collected for the Zoo in Chapultepec, which, by courtesy of Director of the San Diego Zoo in California, had been adapted to the new environment previously at no charge or cost to our government.
I've given a broad display of the general aspects of our distant peninsula; and I am proud of the fact that in some way I have contributed to calling the attention of Mexicans to Mexican things.
Until recently, the peninsula had been a shadow, thought of as an inhospitable land, insignificant and with no future. Explorers from other countries, on the other hand, have made expeditions and came to know the territory before we did. Pirates have traveled its coasts and forests, and with unbounded ambition have exploited the natural riches and driven species to extinction. And meanwhile, most Mexicans have looked upon it with indifference and neglect. Efforts from the Direccion de Estudios Biologicos in supporting the patriotic effort to achieve a consciousness of the wealth of our national territory, lends a positive service because knowing the national territory, crossing all of its corners, protecting its riches and properly making use of them, is a work of patriotism and progress.

15

===========
Translated to English
2008-09-24 WRC
San Diego Natural History Museum Research Library