Great Nebraska

Naturalists and Scientists

NOU, R.A. Cooley, Letter, 1905, Mar. 21

The Montana Agricultural
Experiment Station
Bozeman. Mont.

Department of Entomology
R. A. Cooley, Entomologist
State Entomologist

Apr 7 Ans’d

March 21, 1905.

Prof. Lawrence Bruner,
University of Nebraska,
Lincoln, Nebraska.

Dear Prof. Bruner:
I am writing this morning to ask if you have an advanced student or graduate student of ornothology who is enough of a taxidermist to set up our common birds with reasonable skill and rapidity. The situation is this: The Butte Electric Railway Company in Butte, Montana has a park known as the Columbia Gardens, which is a pleasure resort at the end of one of their suburban lines. In the pavilian they are accumulating a collection of plants, animals, minerals, etc for the education of their school children and for an attraction for the public. The manager, Mr. J. R. Wharton has authorized me to expend $500.00 in making a collection of bird mounts and nests. All duplicates to come to this institution as compensation for the trouble of arranging the matter for him. I have decided to offer about $100.00 a month as a salary for a man to come into the state and work for about three months. I will allow him $20.00 per month for camping expenses and will pay his transportation from place to place in the state besides furnishing him a camping outfit. It is quite probable that I can arrange to have one of our students with the man, collecting insects, shooting birds, etc. My plan is to have the men locate themselves in camp in about four or five different localities in the state; one in the lower Yellowstone where the upper Sonoran life-zone comes in; one near Flathead Lake in the northwest corner of the State; one down near Three Forks, this Coun-

 

 

 

 

The Montana Agricultural
Experiment Station
Bozeman, Mont.

Department of Entomology
R.A. Cooley, Entomologist
State Entomologist

ty; one somewhere in the mountains, etc. The position will be, it seems to me, quite attractive to a student who wants to put in his summer in the field. He will be at perfect liberty to publish any notes he may accumulate and I shall be as liberal as possible with him in the matter of triplicates. I prefer, however, that he be reasonably well satisfied with the field experience and the salary compensation. Should he run across any new species we would be glad to have him publish them himself, depositing the types with us and we will publish the article for him in a new series of science bulletins which we are now starting from the College to supplement the Experiment Station bulletins.
I would like to arrange this matter at one and would like the man to come as soon as possible. I shall start for the East about the first of May and the matter should all be arranged if possible before that time.
Very truly yours,
R.A. Cooley