Occasional papers of the California Academy of Sciences

OCCASIONAL PAPERS

OF THE

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

No. 86, ^37 pages, Frontispiece, 21 figures.

THE SEFTON FOUNDATION ORCA EXPEDITION TO THE GULF OF
CALIFORNIA, MARCH-APRIL, 195 3. GENERAL ACCOUNT

By
Paul H. Arnaud, Jr.
California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco 94118

SAN FRANCISCO

PUBLISHED BY THE ACADEMY

September 18, 1970

Marine Biological Laboraov

I_l BRA -

OCT 2 7 1970

WOODS HOLE, :.;A.^.

FRONTISPIECE. Mr. Joseph W. Sefton, Jr. Born on
September 4, 1882, at Dayton, Ohio. Died on March 3, 1966,
at San Diego, California. To whom this report is respect-
fully dedicated. (Photograph taken by Dr. G. E. Lindsay.)

OCCASIONAL PAPERS
OF THE
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

No. 86, 37 pages, Frontispiece, 21 figures.

THE SEFTON FOUNDATION ORCA EXPEDITION TO THE GULF OF
CALIFORNIA, MARCH-APRIL, 195 3. GENERAL ACCOUNT

By

Paul H. Arnaud, Jr.
California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco 94118

INTRODUCTION

The 1953 Sefton Foundation Ovoa Expedition was a sea
voyage for the biological investigation of the waters and
the islands of the Gulf of California and the adjacent
shores of Baja California and Sonora. Emphasis was placed
on the collection of arachnids, fishes, insects (primarily
Diptera) , mollusks (recent and fossil), and reptiles, with
the objective of studying the effects of insular isolation
on the populations of the land forms and of comparing the
present and past distribution of the marine invertebrate
faunas .

The Gulf of California (Golfo de California) or Sea of
Cortez (Mar de Cortez) , is an elongate body of water some
650 miles in length and from 50 to 150 miles in width, dot-
ted primarily on its western side and to a lesser degree
elsewhere with islands which vary considerably in size.
This is an almost unique living biological laboratory which
is infrequently duplicated in other parts of the world.

The expedition v;as sponsored by the J. W. Sefton Founda-
tion of San Diego, California, which furnished its research
ship Ovoa, a twin-screw steel-hulled motor ship, 98 feet
overall, with 23 foot beam (fig. 1) especially fitted for
biological research. In addition to a large laboratory,
its equipment included a heavy dredging winch, dredges, and
various marine collecting gear. It was also equipped with
two motor launches and various smaller boats. The Ovoa is
now operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La
Jolla, California.

The 1953 Sefton Foundation Ovoa Expedition to the Gulf
of California was the second expedition to the Gulf of
California to be sponsored by the Sefton Foundation. The
first, in 1952, under the leadership of George E. Lindsay

2 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

(1952: 1-98), sailed from San Diego, California, on March
26, 1952, and was out 61 days. Mr. Sefton was unable to
accompany the Ovoa in 1952, but in 1953 he accompanied the
expedition and took an active and enthusiastic part, aiding
in the collecting activities whenever possible.

The officers of the Ovca, Captain Stanley Ellis, Engi-
neer James McNeilage, and crewman Joe Wall, were most capa-
ble and aided in all ways to attain the expedition's objec-
tives. Mr. Webster Jackson, Mr. Sefton' s personal cook,
provided excellent meals to the personnel of the expedi-
tion. The scientific personnel also served as crew members
whenever necessary.

Three groups of biologists utilized the research ship
Orca in the Gulf of California in 1953. This report in-
tends to cover the exploration of two portions of the trip,
the first from March 9 through April 5, 1953, and the sec-
ond from April 6 through 15, 1953. Exploration undertaken
subsequently into May by members of the University of Cali-
fornia, Los Angeles, is not considered in this report.

The scientific personnel (with their fields of interest
indicated within parentheses) for the first portion (March
9 - April 5) of the trip consisted of: from the California
Academy of Sciences, Dr. G Dallas Hanna (paleontology,
conchology) and Mr. Joseph R. Slevin (herpetology) ; from
Stanford University, the then graduate students in biology,
Paul H. Arnaud, Jr. (entomology) , John C. Briggs (ichthyol-
ogy) , Frank S. Cliff (herpetology) , John P. Figg-Hoblyn
(Coleoptera, herpetology) , Bruce L. Firstman (arachnology) ,
and Alan E. Levi ton (herpetology) ; and from the San Diego
Zoological Society, Mr. Joseph Ball (herpetology) . It was
a pleasure for the younger biologists to have Dr. Hanna and
Mr. Slevin, both experieneed field zoologists, as associ-
ates on this expedition. Mr. Slevin, 32 years earlier, had
been in charge of the 87 day California Academy of Sciences'
1921 expedition to the Gulf of California (Slevin, 1923:
55-72), aboard the Silver Gate. In the following year,
1922, Dr. Hanna (1925: 217-275) had explored the Island of
Guadalupe and other Pacific islands on the Teaate.

The scientific personnel for the second portion (April
6-17) of the trip consisted of Dr. Hanna and Mr. Slevin who
continued on the expedition, and Dr. Rolf F. Bolin of Hop-
kins Marine Station (ichthyology) . Two San Diego residents
were also aboard.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The J. W. Sefton Foundation of San Diego, California,
provided the research ship Ovoa, its crew, as well as fuel
and food. To the late Mr. J. W. Sefton, Jr. (frontispiece) ,
formerly President, San Diego Trust and Savings Bank, must
be acknowledged our gratitude for his establishing the Sef-
ton Foundation, and for the rebuilding of the ship Ovoa for
the specific purpose of advancing biological research,
thereby making this expedition possible. This report is
dedicated to Mr. Sefton, but this can only express a small
token of our thanks. Dr. George E. Lindsay made all the

No. 86] ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION 3

advance arrangements , even though he could not accompany
the expedition, and he also invited the participants. Dr.
G Dallas Hanna and Mr. J. R. Slevin kindly made their field
notes available, which permitted this report to be written.
Dr. Hanna originally planned, in cooperation with Mr.
Slevin, to prepare a general account of this expedition,
but preoccupation with other research prevented his under-
taking this project. Credit for all information of geolog-
ical, conchological, and other invertebrate coverage (other
than insects which are those of the writer) should be given
to Dr. Hanna. Dr. Laurence Binford, Mrs. Lilian Dempster,
Dr. William Eschmeyer, Dr. Leo G. Hertlein, Dr. Elizabeth
McClintock and Mr. Allyn G. Smith of the California Academy
of Sciences kindly confirmed some of the scientific names.
Finally, thanks are extended to all members of the scien-
tific party and crew for their cooperation and dedication
in making this expedition a success.

LOG OF THE TRIP

Part I. March 9 - April 5, 1953

March 9, 195 3. Monday. San Diego, California to Cabo Col-
nett, Baja California Norte.

We left the dock at San Diego at 0600. A low thin fog
was present until mid-afternoon when it lifted. A fair
wind and gentle following sea were with us. We dropped an-
chor under the lee of Cabo Colnett for the night at 1800.
From the ship, in dim light, the cape seemed to be a mass
of yellow, horizontal, poorly bedded, hard, and concretion-
ary sandstone about 100 feet thick, capped with a volcanic
flow rock about 50 feet thick at the point and thinning to
the east and north. We anchored opposite a gully which
would afford access to the water line. Otherwise the
cliffs are vertical. No shore collecting was undertaken.
A night light hung over ship side attracted larval fishes
(probably anchovies) and many reddish wo inns . Other forms
were less abundant. Many fish were seen swimming at depth
but could not be captured. A good series of pipe fish, a
small slender species, was taken. The depth of water at
anchorage was three fathoms. Temperature about 58° F. from
1900 to 2100.

March 10, 1953. Tuesday. Cabo Colnett, Baja California
Norte to Is la San Geronimo.

We left Cabo Colnett anchorage at 0600 with fine weather
and sunrise, and a light fair wind and small following sea.
We passed close to Isla San Martin at 1000 to 1100 hours
and it looked enticing for a collector. Very little sea
life was seen on the way. At 140 0 we arrived and made an-
chorage under the lee of Isla San Geronimo. On this small
island, which is about 100 feet high, we found a Mexican
colony of lobster fishermen with their families, and their
domesticated pigs and chickens. We did not know the number
of residents of the colony, but they had 31 skiffs and a
launch on the beach. All collectors went ashore on the

4 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

south end of the island. The north end, a refuge inhabited
by many cormorants, is forbidden to trespassers because of
a guano concession. Two species of lizards were taken.
Large series of seashore Diptera -- Canaoeoides nudatus and
Aphrosytus — as well as other insects and spiders, were
collected. Hanna collected a few representative rocks and
shells. Mollusks seen were the usual ones found from Santa
Barbara to San Diego. The tide was high. The island is
primarily a mass of yellow sandstone dipping northwest 10
to 20 degrees, somewhat cross bedded. No traces of fossils
could be found except a little wood. Some strata are some-
what shaly with limey concretions but these have no fossils.
Beaches are composed of pebbles of very dark meta volcan-
ics and very hard igneous rocks. An irregular layer of
these covers much of the surface of the south half of the
island. Immediately below this layer the contact is marked
by highly bored sandstone, showing clearly that the island
has been elevated from the sea bottom. No land shells were
found. There were many burrows of Cassin's Auklets [Pty-
ahoramphus aleutioa) with eggs. No fish were caught on the
hooks at the ship.

March 11, 1953. Wednesday. Isla San Geronimo to Bahia del
Sur, Isla de Cedros.

We left anchorage at 0600 under clear skies. There were
moderate swells with a brisk wind of 20 miles from the
northwest. Near San Geronimo were sighted about 100 cor-
morants with white flank patches -- the pelagic cormorant
{Phalaovooorax pelagious) . By mid-afternoon Isla de Cedros
and the Islas San Benito came in sight. Two trolling hooks
failed to catch anything, and there was little life in
sight. We passed on the western side of Isla de Cedros and
dropped anchor at 1730 in its Bahia del Sur (South Bay) .
There was a heavy ground swell. The air and water were
cold and the wind did not slacken. The entire southwest
corner of Cedros seemed to be volcanic, judging by the red
cinder cones seen from the ship. On the west side, a few
miles north, there is a flat-topped area which looked like
a terrace about 100 feet high but the remainder of the
shore line is not like this. No shore collecting was un-
dertaken. We tried hook and line at the anchorage with
various baits including live smelt but did not have a
strike. At the night light many five-inch smelt came in
and these were netted for bait. One large pipe fish which
was dark brown dorsally with ten light yellowish brown
cross bars was caught. Red worms swarmed about the light.

March 12, 1953. Thursday. Bahia del Sur, Isla de Cedros
to Bahia San Bartolome, Baja California Sur.

In the morning a landing party consisting of Levi ton,
Firstman, Figg-Hoblyn, Ball, and Arnaud tried to row ashore,
The surf was so high that the large skiff was overturned,
bow over stern. No one was injured, but all got coldly
soaked and some equipment was lost — including two 22 cal-
iber rifles, cameras, boots, and other clothing. No col-
lecting was attempted. After this the party returned to
the Orca. We sailed at 1030 and passed to the north of

No. 86] ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION 5

Isla Natividad where there is a lighthouse and what appears
to be a weather station. Several large giant cacti {Paohy-
aereus pringZei) were noted. This island seemed to be all
sedimentary as observed with 7 X 50 binoculars; the dips
and strikes being variable from nearly horizontal to nearly
vertical. We ran through two schools of porpoises. Upon
arrival at Bahia San Bartolome (Turtle Bay) at 1430, all
nine collectors went ashore on the north side, with no
striking success. Some land shells, Miorarionta species,
were collected. The only marine forms noted on the beach
were Astvaea^ Purpura^ TegulCj and Aomaea -- the last two
represented by living individuals. There were dead shells
also of two specimens of Haliotis and some rock borers.
Diptera collected on the beach included a series of a new
sphaerocerid fly, named by Dr. 0. W. Richards (1963: 239-
240) as Leptooera ( Thoraaochaeta) arnaudi . The strata on
this side of the bay appear to be Cretaceous but no fossils
were found. About 100 feet above the present shore line
there is a late Pleistocene deposit with many bay-type
shells. This is overlain by about 50 feet of talus debris
from the neighboring mountain. The estimate of the late-
ness of the shell deposit is based upon the color retention
of the shells. Around the night light great numbers of
smelt milled about. Nothing would take our bait on the
hooks.

March 13, 1953. Friday. Bahia San Bartolome, Baja Cali-
fornia Sur to Punta Abreojos, Baja California Sur.

We hoisted anchor at 0600 and set course for Bahia de
Ballenas. At 10 30 we passed Punta San Roque . On the way
several schools of the pacific dolphin {Delphinus hairdii)
and two specimens of Rhynaus were seen. One of the former
was harpooned by the chief with a hand harpoon but it got
under the ship and the line was cut. Later, at anchorage,
Briggs had a very cold swim to cut free the entangled line
from the propeller shaft. No fish struck our trolling
lines. No flying fish were seen. We dropped anchor at
Punta Abreojos about 16 00. Here there are two lighthouses,
a large hangar, and dwellings. The water was very cold and
has been so all the way down, not warmer than 58° F. Just
after anchoring, six rock fish {Sehastes species) were
caught. When four sea lions appeared, no more bites occur-
red. One sea lion caught a fish of about three pounds and
played with it a few moments before swallowing it. The
bottom at anchorage is rock in four fathoms. No shore col-
lecting was undertaken. Around the night light many smelt
were again attracted, and two octopuses, one kelp fish, two
half beaks, and three pipe fish were collected. Many large
forms were seen but could not be reached.

March 14, 1953. Saturday. Punta Abreojos, Baja California
Sur to Bahia Santa Maria, Baja California Sur.

We hoisted anchor at 0300 and set course for Bahia Santa
Maria. A 14-hour run was made, with the sea being very
rough until noon when it calmed down. To this point the
weather has been very cold with northerly winds up to 20
miles an hour. The water has also been cold, thus we have

6 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

seen no flying fish and caught nothing on the trolling
lines. We saw no porpoises and only a few sea lions all
day. Birds were also scarce, but we were pretty far off
shore, having lost sight of land for a time. At 1700 we
passed Cabo San Lazaro Light and rounded the cape, anchor-
ing in Bahia Santa Maria at 1800. At the anchorage the
water was very quiet. No shore collecting was undertaken.
No fish were caught at the hand lines. Only a few things
appeared about the night light. A few half beaks about a
foot in length were seen.

The mountain mass behind our anchorage did not appear to
be sedimentary in any part. Various shades of red and
green are present and some of it may be serpentine.

March 15, 1953. Sunday. Bahia Santa Maria, Baja Califor-
nia Sur toward Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur.

Seven collectors went ashore (with Hanna and Briggs re-
maining aboard) at the Santa Maria anchorage at 0700 and a
good collection of four species of reptiles and many in-
sects and spiders were obtained. Burragea glabra was in
bloom and this proved highly attractive to various Diptera
and other Insecta. The trip's best collection of the para-
sitic fly family Tachinidae was encountered at these flow-
ers. Briggs and Hanna caught a number of croakers on hand
lines as well as a 2 1/2-foot horn shark [Heterodontus spe-
cies). A 4-foot hammer head {Sphyrna species) was also
hooked and brought to the surface but it escaped. The
small boat dredge was hauled several times by carrying it
out from the ship and hauling aboard. The bottom was soft
muddy sand but a small collection was obtained. One aba-
lone shell (Haliotis) was found on shore. The weather
turned warmer during the night and has been delightful
since. At 1300 we hoisted anchor and set course for the
overnight trip to Cabo San Lucas.

March 16, 1953. Monday. Bahia Santa Maria, Baja Califor-
nia Sur to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur.

Under way all night. At 0700 we had Cabo Falso Light
abeam and made anchorage shortly thereafter at Cabo San
Lucas. After clearance of the ship by Mexican officials,
all collectors went ashore. The beaches are nearly barren
but a good lot of small echinoids were obtained. They had
recently been driven ashore. Among the Diptera collected
was the robber fly {Lissoteles vanduzeei) which was rela-
tively abundant on the sand dunes, a new subspecies of a
minute bee fly {Mythioomyia sautellata binotata Melander,
1961: 251-252), a new species of scenopinid fly of the
genus Brevitriohia (determined by Dr. Kelsey) , and a series
of a new marine shore fly {Canaaeoides spinosus Wirth,
1969: 567-568). Some spiders were collected by Firstman
in a house on the walls behind pictures, etc.

Some of the collecting in the afternoon was done at low
tide in a pool at Los Frailes Rocks where Hanna got a nice
lot of chitons. A very large number of species of fishes
were obtained. Many were very brilliantly colored. We
appeared to be too early for reptiles. Nothing worth tak-
ing was found by six night collectors.

No. 86] ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION 7

There is very little evidence of the great storm which
hit this part of the peninsula about 15 years ago and
washed the village away. There is a mark on the vegetation
inland which must be at least 50 feet above sea level.

March 17^ 1953. Tuesday. Cabo San Lucas, Baja California
Sur.

The herpetologists , Cliff, Figg-Hoblyn, Slevin, and Ball,
worked hard ashore but had very mediocre success. They ob-
tained a few small snakes and a few lizards, all common
species. None of the rarer forms seem to be out as yet and
it is agreed that we are about a month too early for this
location. The entomological collections were productive
as usual. Briggs, Cliff, Hanna,and Levi ton took the launch
several miles southeast of our anchorage where they dropped
the dredge in 4 0 fathoms. The chart said sand bottom but
they hj.t rocks at once, the dredge fouled, the wire line
broke and only through the fortune of having a recovery
line did they save the dredge. In it were some gorgonians
which were obviously rock dwellers. In the afternoon Sef-
ton accompanied the group to Los Frailes Rocks (not to be
confused with Los Frailes) . A fine assemblage of semi-
tropical reef fishes was obtained. Upon returning to the
ship, a couple of hauls with the small dredge from the ship
were made with a quart of shells and sand collected. The
night light attracted a variety of small fishes and squid.

March 18, 1953. Wednesday. Cabo San Lucas, Baja Califor-
nia Sur to Los Frailes, Baja California Sur.

We left anchorage at Cabo San Lucas at 0510 and anchored
at Los Frailes by 1030. Slevin and Arnaud went ashore
while all other members of the party left for El Pulmo Reef.
On shore, Slevin and Arnaud obtained a bat in the thatch of
one of the few houses. Insects collected included repre-
sentatives of two new species of minute bee flies -- two
specimens of Mythioomyia ovuvalis (Melander, 1961: 201)
and several hundred specimens of Mythioomyia tuhioen (Me-
lander, 1961: 257-258), and a series of new robber fly
{Parataraotious arenioolus Martin, 1968: 182-183) (fig. 5).
Two specimens of a new genus of the parasitic fly family
Tachinidae were also collected; one of which was sitting on
the trunk of a fig tree {Fiaus species).

The launch and two skiffs were taken by the party for
the five miles to El Pulmo Reef. The arrival was about one
and a half hours before a low tide, which gave the herpe-
tologists time to collect a snake and several lizards. At
low tide, about 1330, about 20 fish were obtained. The
reef is merely a ledge of hard conglomerate dipping south-
west about ten degrees and striking northwest. Boulders up
to 6 inches in diameter were noted. On top of the reef
there were barnacles and specimens of Chama and Aomaea.
With a diving mask, Hanna went down along the leeward side,
and toward the base there were gorgonians in abundance and
coral heads here and there {Porites?) . These are also
found over the sandy bottom between the reef and shore. It
is definitely not a coral reef. On shore, Hanna found
PinnUj Strombus galeatus ^ Melohgena, Murex (pink)^ Peoten

8 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

subnodosus 3 and Chama represented, along with a large cir-
cular species of Ostrea, many pearl oysters and a few other
bivalves, most badly worn.

The headland just up the coast from the reef is old,
porphyritic volcanics, judging by the shingle on the beach.

The fish night light was unproductive.

March 19, 1953. Thursday. Los Frailes, Baja California
Sur.

This was the day off for the crew of the Orca. The col-
lectors went ashore at the usual time after breakfast with
poor results as far as reptiles were concerned. Hanna
found a good series of the large Bulimulus montezuma , all
dead, around the great granite mass which forms the head-
land. They were mostly in the interstices where wood rats
had nests. Figg-Hoblyn collected a few immature specimens
of this species under fallen tree trunks. In the afternoon
Hanna and Slevin dredged out to 40 fathoms, with results
that were not especially good but one chiton and many spec-
imens of Calyptraea were obtained. Along the rocky shore
many species of fish were collected.

March 20, 1953. Friday. Los Frailes, Baja California Sur
to Punta Gordas , Is la Cerralvo.

We left our Los Frailes anchorage at 0600 bound for Isla
Cerralvo. After leaving, the ship was slowed down while
the dredge wire was played out and respooled. At about
1600 we arrived and anchored at Punta Gordas, which is on
the southwestern portion of Isla Cerralvo (Ceralbo Island) .
Hanna, Levi ton, Slevin, and Arnaud rowed ashore at 1630,
while the other members of the party took a skiff with out-
board motor to collect north of our anchorage. The motor
failed and they returned after dark after a long row a-
gainst the tide. The land party at the anchorage had suc-
cess. In an hour, Hanna had collected about 20 specimens
of Bulimulus oeralboensis and many marine shells. Pearl
oysters were common on the beach. The tide was not low e-
nough to collect living shells. A great number of sea
hares [Dolahella) had drifted ashore and had dried leaving
the shells available. Levi ton and Slevin collected about
a dozen lizards including geckos. Three specimens of a new
bee fly of the genus Lordotus {L. arnaudi Johnson and John-
son, 1959: 13-14) were discovered. At the Oraa' s night
light there were few fish but a series of marine water
striders {Halobates serioeus) were collected when they came
to the night light.

Cerralvo is a medium-sized Gulf island some 18 miles in
length and 4 1/4 miles wide. At our anchorage the rocks on
shore were micaceous schist with minor granitic intrusions.
Quartz seams up to 6 inches across and pockets are common,
but Hanna saw no mineral segregations.

March 21, 1953. Saturday. Punta Gordas, Isla Cerralvo.

Our anchorage was about 1 mile southeast of Punta Gordas
in 10 fathoms. In the forenoon the tide pools straight in
from the anchorage were collected for fish by Briggs with
the aid of other members of the party with moderate success.

No. 86] ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION 9

After this, Hanna and Sefton collected chitons and shells in
the tide pools, and following lunch, they went to the sand
pit at Punta Gordas and collected a great many beach shells,
most of which were part of the rock dwelling fauna. On the
low bluffs back of the beach there were huge quantities of
pearl oysters, large flat ostreas, and a few pectens. This
probably was a divers camp. There are conglomerate reefs
jutting out from the point dipping southwest about 10 de-
grees, with boulders up to 6 inches in diameter. This mate-
rial is believed to be a part of the raised beach Pleisto-
cene formation which in front of the anchorage is 50 feet
above high tide. At the last point, it was followed up a
canyon to the bed rock contact and it contained a great many
shells in hard sand. Specimens of Strombus galeatus ^ Peo-
ten, Maorocallista , etc. were abundant, but the rock was too
hard and the shells too fragile for extraction. Evidence of
mice was common and five skeletons of cats, presumably of
the house variety, were found.

March 22, 1953. Sunday. Punta Gordas and Isla Cerralvo to
Isla Espiritu Santo .

We left the anchorage at 0700 and proceeded up the west
side of Isla Cerralvo to Rancho Ruffo (also known as El
Mostrador) . The ship stood off because there was no salt
water shallow enough to anchor and permit a swing. The
Rancho is at the mouth of a very large canyon. There were
three thatched shelters, a stone corral, and a well. The
last is about 20 feet to water, is bricked upland has ce-
ment troughs. Two large bats flew out as we came up. The
place was abandoned but many turtle and goat bones indicated
periodic occupancy. Collections were made up the canyon.
Hanna collected about 100 land shells belonging to two
species of Bulimulus , and he also collected a single speci-
men of rattlesnake which later became a paratype of Crotalus
enyo oevralvensis (Cliff, 1954: 82-84). Specimens of the
robber fly Lissoteles vanduzeei , as well as a new species of
the bee genus Pevdita (P. avnaudi Timberlake, 1958: 388),
were found.

All the rocks up the west side of the explored canyon
appeared to be schist intruded by granitic rock. Some of
the masses of granite (a gray hornblende diorite) were very
large. Just north of the canyon there is a mass of sedimen-
tary rock elevated to a height of about 500 feet. It con-
sists of conglomerate, agglomerate, brown and white sand-
stone, and limy sand. Some strata of the latter are 10 feet
thick and contain fossils of various kinds. Several species
of Pecten were the most common and these indicated Pliocene
age. One echinoid was seen but the rock was so hard and
tough that extraction was very difficult. This material ex-
tends north of the canyon about 1/2 mile and up the canyon
about the same distance. The collections assembled by Han-
na and Slevin have been studied and reported on by Hertlein
(1957, 1966) and Emerson and Hertlein (1964). The dip is
eastward about 20 degrees. The heavy boulders all seemed
to be the same as the metamorphic and igneous material which
forms the remainder of the island. Obviously it is a block
faulted up. From the ship the remainder of the island to

10 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

the northward looked to be the same schist and granite which
was found to the southward.

We left at 1300 and reached the indentation which sepa-
rates on the east side Isla Espiritu Santo from Isla Parti-
da at 1630. Hanna, Slevin, Figg-Hoblyn, and Arnaud went a-
shore to collect. Rabbits must be extremely abundant judg-
ing by the signs.

Coming up the east side of Isla Espiritu Santo a large
area of sand dunes v;as noted at the south end. The rocks
from there northward for 3 or 4 miles could not be deter-
mined, but they appeared to be very massive. At the first
large bight with a boulder beach there is a sudden change
to stratified material. This appeared to be volcanics and
extends northward to the present anchorage. After we got
ashore, the volcanic determination was verified, some layers
being a red vitrophyre.

March 23, 1953. Monday. Isla Espiritu Santo and Isla Par-
tida.

Isla Espiritu Santo and Isla Partida to the north are
almost connected by bars (fig. 6). There are coves on each
side with a bar running out from each island and a narrow,
shallow channel between. Collecting was undertaken on both
islands. Hanna collected numerous chitons and other marine
forms at low tide. On the sand flats in the narrow channel
there were windrows of minute shells washed up. Several
specimens of the well known Bulimulus veseyanus as well as
one small narrow one were found. Most of these were taken
by Ball and Figg-Hoblyn. In addition to the shells col-
lected, many others were seen. Dolium^ Strombus ^ and Pinna
are used by occasional visitors for food and the shells are
usually broken. Large circular ostreas and pearl oysters
were common as well as several kinds of clams. These were
all dead shells. The fish collectors aiding Briggs filled
three gallon bottles. The herpetologists got a rattlesnake,
a racer (the third known specimen of Mastioophis barbouri
was collected by Figg-Hoblyn), and many lizards. Three
specimens of a new scenopinid fly were collected. Dr. L. P.
Kelsey has described and dedicated this new species to Mr.
Sefton, naming it Saenopinus seftoni (Kelsey, 1969: 152-
153) . On the Isla Partida sandbar, several tiger beetles of
the genus Cicindela were also collected. This island also
yielded 6 specimens of a new therevid fly of the genus
Psilooephala , near P. tepooae , as well as other desirable
forms. The Captain, Chief, and Jackson went trolling and
stocked the larder with sierra and skipjack (Euthynnus) .

The most conspicuous rocks are the red lava at the top
and the white rhyolitic ash at sea level with a black phase
in between. The sea cliff just south of the anchorage is
about 750 feet high.

March 24, 1953. Tuesday. Isla Espiritu Santo to Isla San
Francisco to Bahia de Amortajada, Isla San Jose.

At 0700 we hoisted anchor and set course for Isla San
Francisco. Anchorage was made there at 0900. This is a
small irregular island with an area of about 1 1/2 square
miles and about 100 feet high. Our anchorage on the south-

No. 86] ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION 11

ern end required a climb up a steep cliff (fig. 8) to make
our collections. All biologists went ashore. A fair col-
lection of reptiles was made. Firstman got a small rattle-
snake, and Figg-Hoblyn got a spotted night snake. Figg-
Hoblyn and Hanna made a thorough search for land shells and
succeeded in finding only three immature and long dead
shells. Three species of marine shore flies collected were
new (the type series of 17 specimens of Canaseoides tenui-
stylus (Wirth, 1969: 568-569), and paratypes of C. angula-
tus (Wirth, 1969: 556) and C. setosus (Wirth, 1969: 565).
The island was very dry. Originally San Francisco was two
islands but the sea has built up a bar between the high
parts. There is a salt flat on the bar now. Some salt is
harvested here from five pools each about 10 by 20 feet.
Along the seepage which comes through the breakwater, Hanna
found a good set of Cerithidea.

The island is wholly volcanic, there having been three
periods of activity, each separated by an unconformity.
The oldest is a rhyolitic ash consolidated into a very hard
and tough white rock. Next there are flows of bright green
rocks with cavities sometimes filled with milky white chal-
cedony. The topmost layers are bright red, somewhat vesic-
ulated lava. All the forms are agglomeratic, but it is
doubtful if deposition was submarine.

We left San Francisco at 1600 and arrived at Bahia de
Amortajada, Isla San Jose about 1700, too late to do any
work ashore. On San Jose there is a considerable establish-
ment with 27 men engaged in harvesting salt from ponds be-
hind the high sand beach.

March 25, 1953. Wednesday. Bahia de Amortajada, Isla San
Jose.

Isla San Jose is 19 miles long, and 6 1/2 miles at its
greatest width, with one mountain peak 2,080 feet high.
All biologists went ashore after breakfast. Mammals and
land birds were abundant. No snakes were seen, although
there is plenty of food and cover. The herpetologists
agree that we are one to two months too early for good col-
lecting. Hanna found one specimen of a globose Bulimulus
and Figg-Hoblyn and Ball got one also. Eight, very fragile
shells of a high-spired Bulimulus were also collected.
Hanna worked the hills about 2 miles back of the beach
while Figg-Hoblyn and Ball went to the top of the mountains.
These mountains are almost certainly granitic judging by
the float which has come down from them. The frontal hills,
however, are all volcanic, mostly reddish brown andesite
with a minor amount of green. The age is very uncertain,
but the island has no resemblance geologically to the beau-
tifully stratified section exposed on the adjacent penin-
sula. In the afternoon, Hanna, Briggs, and Wall went out
in the launch dredging, and after making 2 hauls on sand
bottom the motor stopped and they were lucky to get back to
the ship. The water pump had failed. Nevertheless they
got an excellent collection of small shells.

Good spider collections were made by Firstman. Among
the many insects collected was a single specimen of the
parasitic fly family Tachinidae which was designated as a

12 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

paratype of Musaopteryx petensis (Reinhard, 1958: 280). It
was collected on the leaves of ironwood. A series of spec-
imens of the bee fly Lordotus gunoeus provided a 600 mile
southward extension to its recorded range.

March 26^ 1953. Thursday. Bahia de Amortajada, Isla San
Jose to Isla Santa Cruz to Bahia Agua Verde, Baja Califor-
nia Sur.

We left Isla San Jose at 0700 and reached Isla Santa
Cruz about 0900. All biologists went ashore. The Oroa did
not anchor, but stood off and waited for us.

Santa Cruz is a steep rugged island a little less than
4 miles long, about 1 1/2 miles wide, and about 1500 feet
high. It is deeply cut by many canyons, the erosion of
which indicates great precipitation at one time. Isla
Santa Cruz is entirely a granodiorite with aplite dikes
and a few veins of quartz up to 8 inches thick. Some epi-
dote and copper-stained rock was picked up as float and
north of our southwest landing place there is a zone which
from the ship looked like it might be highly mineralized.
No sedimentary or volcanic rocks were noted.

We found three Mexicans camped ashore in a cave. They
were fishermen and said they spent about 3 months each year
here. The surrounding waters were literally alive with
fish. The only land bird seen was a hummingbird. With the
help of Figg-Hoblyn, Ball, and Arnaud, Hanna got over 100
specimens of Bulimulus santaaruzensis . Slevin found the
skeleton of a snake. This was a new distributional record.
Insects were relatively scarce. Only about 50 specimens
were collected. The party was picked up at 1150.

On the way to Bahia Agua Verde we coasted along the east
side of the peninsula, pretty far out, but with glasses the
shore line looked like a great escarpment with beautifully
exposed stratification. This is probably the same volcan-
ics as at Bahia Agua Verde. The exposed rocks are reddish
brown volcanic agglomerate. We arrived at Bahia Agua Verde
at 1530 and rowed ashore and started to collect by 1600.
There are several large palms around the small village.
Members of the party ashore worked up a canyon on the north
side of the great stream valley where Hanna found about 100
specimens of Bulimulus. Mr. Sefton took about a dozen
chitons, and there was fair success in collecting fish.
There were many insects flying about a mesquite tree in
bloom, and about 700 specimens were collected. The insects
collected included 2 species of small bees of the genus
Perdita (P. punotosignata punotosignata Cockerell and the
new species P. dupliaans Timberlake) as well as the unique
holotype male of the small bee fly Mythioomyia aperta
(Melander, 1961: 183).

March 27, 1953. Friday. Bahia Agua Verde, Baja California
Sur to Isla Santa Catalina to Bahia Ballandra, Isla de Car-
men.

At 0700 we hoisted anchor and set course for Isla Santa
Catalina, arriving at a poor anchorage beside a boulder
spit on the northeast side of the island at 0900, anchoring
in 8 fathoms. This is another rugged island, about 7 1/2

No. 86] ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION 13

miles long, 2 miles wideband 1^500 feet high. At the land-
ing place the rocks were of many kinds — granite with
feldspar and epidote dykes, shist of many forms, and at
least one thick mass of crystalline limestone. Samples
were taken of the various forms. No sediments were seen.
A primitive landing strip had been cleared across the in-
side flat area of the boulder spit.

Firstman, Briggs , and Cliff collected specimens of a new
species of rattlesnake, described as Cvotalus oatalinensis
by Cliff in 1954. In turning over rocks Levi ton was stung
on the finger by a small slender-tailed scorpion, without
serious consequence. A single web-spinner of the order
Embioptera was collected under a large rock, the first re-
cord of this order from this island. Slevin collected a
tenebrionid beetle in alcohol before returning to the Oraa.
On the return to the ship a live maggot was discovered and
removed from the alcohol, having emerged from the beetle.
The maggot pupated with a female sarcophagid fly later
emerging. Over 220 specimens of a new marine shore fly
{Canaceoides setosus Wirth, 1969: 565-567) (fig. 9) were
swept from coastal rocks. With the help of Levi ton, Hanna
collected both Bulimulus johnstoni and Pupoides oatalinen-
sis which have been reported. They also found a specimen
of Gastrooopta, which Figg-Hoblyn and Arnaud also collected.
The shells of Bulimulus were everywhere -- they were more
abundant than Hanna had ever known land shells to be. Live
ones were under the first rocks in slides, and he often took
4 to 6 off one rock. The only evidence of mammals was one
cat skull picked up by Hanna, and Figg-Hoblyn saw a dead
cat.

The collecting party was called off shore and departed
at 1330 and set course for Bahia Ballandra, Isla de Carmen.
As seen from the Oroa far out to the east, the south end
of Carmen seemed to be sediments dipping south about 30
degrees. We rounded the north point and coasted down the
west side of the island to the pretty little landlocked
Bahia Ballandra, noting only what appeared to be volcanics
except for an occasional light patch of sediments of very
small extent. We arrived and made anchor at 18 30. There
is only one house at the bay. No shore collecting was
undertaken.

March 28, 19 53. Saturday. Bahia de Ballandra, Isla de Car-
men, to Loreto, Baja California Sur.

The collectors all went ashore after breakfast. Mr.
Sefton made a fine collection of intertidal chitons in the
bay. Briggs, Cliff, Wall, and Hanna seined a mangrove pool
back of the beach and took about 50 fish in half an hour.
Briggs, Cliff, Levi ton, Slevin, and Hanna worked on the
reef most of the forenoon. It is exposed on the beach to
an elevation of about 50 feet and appears to be Pleistocene;
some of the shells, such as those belonging to Glycymeris
gigant&a , still retain a little color,, and the assemblage is
the same as those living in the area at the present time.
This particular reef is on the south side of the bay. On
the north side there is first a mangrove swamp, then a flat
valley with a canyon at the head. On the borders of this

14 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

little valley there are similar reefs, 5 of them on each
projecting point and at the head there is an obvious old
beach line. The bounding basement rocks are rhyolites and
possibly andesites. Chalcedony seams are common at the
head of the valley. Near the first-mentioned reef and on
the beach cliffs there are seams or veins of a white miner-
al. In the afternoon Briggs, Leviton, Wall, and Hanna went
dredging outside the bay and made four hauls in 25-35
fathoms. The bottom was muddy sand with much broken shell.
Some good mollusks were obtained, but in general it was
dead bottom. The Captain and Chief caught a fine lot of
fish in the forenoon by trolling near shore. One was a
30-pound grouper. Figg-Hoblyn, Ball, and Arnaud hiked over-
land (figs. 10-12) to the ridge which overlooks the exten-
sive salt works. They met several residents with their
loaded burros on the trail. The entomological collecting
at mesquite flowers, along the mangroves , and along the
shore resulted in the discovery of 5 taxa of minute bee
flies, Mythioomyia , including the unique male type of M.
munda (Melander, 1961: 228-229), the paratype series of M.
vhaeha (Melander, 1961: 246-247) and M. tenthes (Melander,
1961: 253-254), the allotype of M. soutellata hinotata
(Melander, 1961: 251-252) , and M. soutellata Coquillett.

Left anchorage at 16 00 and anchored at Loreto, Baja
California Sur, on a very quiet and glassy sea at 1800.
The younger members of the expedition rowed ashore after
dinner to the very dark beach and visited the town.

March 29, 1953. Sunday. Loreto, Baja California Sur.

This was lay day for the crew and only limited work was
done ashore. Slevin and Jianna stayed aboard and got their
collections attended to and equipment repaired and altered.
It was a generally cloudy day with wind, which whitecapped
the Gulf at the anchorage in the afternoon and early even-
ing. Figg-Hoblyn, Ball, Wall, and Arnaud went ashore about
0900. They met a bearded American who gave them a short
ride about town in his "command" car. They visited the old
mission which was in the process of being restored. After
collecting they had dinner and a few beers at the modern
Sportsmans Lodge. In the evening there was a dance in the
town square.

A borrego (bighorn sheep, Ovis oanadensis) was kept on
a rope as a pet at one of the houses.

March 30, 1953. Monday. Loreto, Baja California Sur to
Isla Ildefonso to Punta Pulpito, Baja California Sur.

We hoisted anchor at 0700 and set course for Ildefonso,
on a bright sunny day. The sea was whitecapped due to a
brisk head wind. There was a sheltered lee at the south-
east end of Ildefonso where we dropped anchor at noon, and
the biologists rowed ashore by 1230. This is a small is-
land, a little more than a mile long, about half a mile
wide, and attains a height of 387 feet, the top being rather
flat. The island is volcanic with many caves and cliffs.
Apparently an agglomerate at an elevation of about 100 feet
represents an old beach deposit but it contained no shells.
In some of the rocks there are irregular masses of white

No. 86] ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION 15

chalcedony. Copper stains were noted in a few places. Ob-
sidian fragments were found over the lower southern slopes
but no source could be found. It was not a pure material
but was not incrusted or weathered. It may have been car-
ried there by egg hunters.

Bushes of Sympetaleia aurea were conspicuous with their
orange flowers. There was some fresh water caught in rock
basins, and Figg-Hoblyn collected two mosquitoes. Hanna was
bitten by mosquitoes quite a few times and reported later
that these produced good sized welts. The herpetologists
got two lizards and a gecko. Tide pooling resulted in 2
gallons of small fish, and the Captain and Chief caught 7
groupers. A thorough search for land shells was made, but
none found. Several bags of fine material were taken to
search for small species. Insect and spider collecting was
excellent. Over 370 specimens of a new species of marine
shore fly, described by Dr. W. W. Wirth as Canaaeoides
sGutellatus (1969: 563-569), were swept from coastal rocks.
Collections also included a new species of therevid fly of
the genus Fhevoceva. There was a large colony of Heermann's
Gulls {Larus heermanni) on the southern slope. Blue-footed
Boobies {Sula nehouxii) (fig. 13) nested on the cliff and
had young. The gulls and pelicans had not laid eggs. A
sparrow and a kingfisher were seen. A young Osprey {Pandion
haliaetus) (fig. 14) in a nest was photographed while a
parent circled overhead. We hoisted anchor at 16 30 and
anchored at Punta Pulpito, Baja California Sur at 1745.
After dinner, Hanna and Slevin went ashore on the south side
and with a flashlight collected specimens of several species
of fossil Mollusca. In the Pulpito cliff, south side,
there is a mass of vein-like black crumbly obsidian. This
vein shows in the photograph (fig. 15) . Since all the fos-
sils seen were in sea cliffs and thus hard to collect, it
was decided to stay another day to hunt for some canyons
which have weathered down to the fossil bearing strata.

March 31, 1953. Tuesday. Punta Pulpito, Baja California
Sur to Isla San Marcos.

The collecting parties left the Oroa before 0800. The
morning was mostly overcast and cool. Cliff, Slevin, and
Hanna went northwest on the tableland until they came to a
canyon, about a mile back, which had cut down into the fos-
sil-bearing beds. There was an unbelievable number of fos-
sils, the most conspicuous belonging to a large species of
Peoten and to Dosinia, but many other groups were repre-
sented. Many forms seemed to have grown to larger size
than at present. One poorly preserved abalone was found.
It appears to be referable to Haliotis fulgens (Hertlein,
1957: 68-69). This is the first specimen recorded with
certainty as a fossil from the Gulf of California. Small
forms were scarce. Only a few echinoids, representing 3
species, were collected. The beds are nearly horizontal
and are faulted off on the east toward the Punto Pulpito
which forms a large and very conspicuous promontory.
Whether they are faulted on the landward side could not be
determined in the available time. The insect collecting
included 2 species of scenopinid fly -- a new species of

16 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

Bvevitriohia and Metatriohia huthosa and 4 new species of
minute bee flies -- the unique holotype of Mythioomyia
gynandra (Melander, 1961: 211), the holotype and 2 speci-
mens of M. humeralis (Melander, 1961: 213-214) and para-
types of M. annulata (Melander, 1961: 181-182) and M. ir-
rupta (Melander, 1961: 218-219). The shore parties re-
turned to the Oroa at 1100. By 1130 we were under way and
set course for Isla San Marcos. We dropped anchor at the
southwest end of Isla San Marcos at 1630. Figg-Hoblyn and
Ball left at once for the northern part of the island.
They found about 15 specimens of Bulimulus , 3 of which were
alive, and reported a great profusion of flowers, estimated
at 40 different kinds. When they returned to the ship at
20 30, Ball was ill, probably from overexertion on the hike.

Leviton, Hanna, and Arnaud also went ashore for 1 hour
of collecting about the boat landing. On the conglomerate
which forms the southwest corner of the island they col-
lected about 50 specimens of Bulimulus , 1 gecko, and some
insects .

The gypsum for which this island is famous is found well
distributed over the south end and samples of it were col-
lected. The quarries which are operated commercially were
not visited. Isla San Marcos is almost 6 miles long and
2 1/2 miles wide; its highest peak being slightly less than
900 feet.

April 1, 1953. Wednesday. Isla San Marcos to Isla San
Esteban.

We hoisted anchor at 0615 and set course for Isla San
Esteban. After a long run through glassy calm seas we ar-
rived at San Esteban at 1700, south side. San Esteban is
about 4 miles long, 3 miles wide, and attains a height of
1,772 feet. East of our anchorage, rip tides, due to fast \
tidal currents, caused whitecrested turbulent water. The
shore was a boulder beach, quite barren of chitons and bar-
nacles. Evidently it is a severe beach in a southwest
storm. There is much evidence of volcanic activity ashore,
but at the landing there were some fossiliferous layers,
the fossils not being well preserved or easy to get out.
The beds are tipped at a high angle and have boulder beach
deposits on top. A wide canyon extends back into the cen-
ter of the island. In an hour ashore, Hanna collected 2
representatives of Miorarionta under volcanic slabs on the
west side of the canyon as well as a lot of pupillids.
Some insects and reptiles were also collected. One was a
snake which Figg-Hoblyn collected at night. It was a calm
night with cool air.

April 2, 1953. Thursday. Isla San Esteban.

The temperature is now cooler. At 0700, it was 58° F.
in the pilot house, and the water temperature was 60° F.
This day was cool with only a slight wind. All biologists
went ashore early. Figg-Hoblyn, Firstman, Hanna, and
Arnaud collected up the main canyon to the north (figs. 16
and 17) about 2 1/2 miles expecting to find water, but
there was none. There had been a little rain not very long
ago, but evidently there was no runoff. There was some

No. 86] ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION 17

moisture down about 6 inches below the surface and many of
the plants were in flower. The elephant trees, however,
had seed almost ripe and the agaves had dried stalks. The
very docile chuckwalla, Sauvomalus varius (fig. 18) was
abundant. They could be easily picked up by hand without
the collector being bitten. Live specimens of these were
collected for display at the San Diego Zoo and elsewhere.
In retrospect, these should not be collected for this pur-
pose and they should be a protected species. A few speci-
mens of the "aggressive" Ctenosaura hemilopha were seen and
photographed. Several geckos and two racers were collected
by the herpetologists . Insect and spider collecting was
productive. One of the two minute bee flies collected
proved to be new to science, being described as Mythioomyia
fumipennis (fig. 19) by Melander (1961: 207-208) from the
unique holotype. Later in the day, Hanna and Levi ton dug
a deep hole in a rock slide on the west side of the canyon
and collected about 40 specimens of Miarariontas , but still
they could not find any living ones.

The island has some fossil-bearing beds at the south
anchorage which may be as old as upper Pliocene, but the
fossils are very poorly preserved. It is difficult to be-
lieve that all of the erosion which is evident in the main
canyon could have taken place without a geological period
of heavy rainfall. There are box canyons cut in hard vol-
canic rock 40 feet deep.

April 3, 1953. Friday. Isla San Esteban to Isla San Pedro
Martir to Bahia San Pedro, Sonora.

We hoisted anchor after 0600 and arrived at Isla San
Pedro Martir about 0830 (fig. 21) . The Oroa stood off
while the biologists went ashore. There is no good landing
where the cliffs can be scaled, so that the collectors went
ashore from the skiffs by jumping out on rocks. This is a
bird island with much evidence of guano collecting in the
past. It is a small high island, being somewhat triangular
in shape and less than a mile across and more than 1,000
feet high. The island is wholly volcanic with patches of
stratified material interbedded with massive flows. The
chemical effect of the guano on the volcanic rocks is very
interesting. It has modified the rocks and altered their
composition profoundly. Judging by the extent of this
alteration it would seem that it has been a bird island for
a long time. California sea lions have 2 rookeries on the
island, which together probably number at least 1,000 ani-
mals. No land shells were found, but in the detrital ma-
terial brought back to the Oraa 1 specimen of Gastrooopta
was found. On the upper slopes there is a fine cactus for-
est of Paahy cereus pringlei . A limited collection of in-
sects was made which included a few large weevils. A strong
wind developed and the landing parties were recalled by
ship whistle at 1130. It was a rough sea to board the
skiffs from the rocks and row back to the ship. We then
set course for Bahia San Pedro, Sonora, where we arrived
and dropped anchor at 1800. The night lights attracted
many fishes heretofore not seen. Ball, Figg-Hoblyn, First-
man, Wall, and Arnaud went ashore for night collecting,

18 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

with only limited success.

April 4, 1953. Saturday. Bahia San Pedro, Sonora to Guay-
mas , Sonora.

The rocks at Bahia San Pedro are ancient volcanics with
much alteration. A few representative samples were taken,
including one which looked like a half obsidian. It was
part of a two foot vein in red altered volcanics at the
northeast end of the bay.

It was an overcast cold morning. Mr. Sefton took a fine
series of chitons on the low tide. He also decapitated a
porpoise which was found floating in the bay the previous
night and which he had tov/ed ashore. It had large teeth
which were heavily worn. The last tide pool collecting was
done by Briggs with the help of the herpetologists . Be-
cause of the weather, no reptiles were out except for a few
lizards. A search was made for specimens of Bulimulus by
Hanna, and a few were found among the boulders in the old
stream bed of the large canyon which comes into the north-
east corner of the bay.

At noon we left Bahia San Pedro for the port city of
Guaymas . The trip down the coast was with a heavy follow-
ing sea. We arrived after 1600.

April 5, 1953. Sunday. Guaymas, Sonora.

Four of the Stanford biologists, Briggs, Cliff, Firstman,
and Leviton, together with Ball, left by bus for their home
destinations. Figg-Hoblyn and Arnaud hiked into the hills
northeast of Guaymas where they collected insects with good
results. Specimens of a new genus and species of mite gall
maker, Para-phytoptella avnaudi (Keifer, 1959: 17-18), were
collected. These mites caused clusters of bead galls on
the leaves of the white-flowered shrub Covdia parvi folia.
A few land snails [Bulimulus species) and 2 pupillids were
also collected. Hanna and Slevin invited Sefton, Figg-
Hoblyn, and Arnaud out to dinner in Guaymas in the evening.

The collections made by the Stanford group of biologists
were left aboard the Oroa. They were to be transported on
April 16 by the California Academy of Sciences vehicle
which was to pick up Hanna and Slevin and their collections.
This was the conclusion of the first part of the Sefton
Oraa Expedition.

Part II. April 6 - 17, 1953

April 6, 1953. Monday. Guaymas, Sonora.

The last two Stanford biologists, Figg-Hoblyn and Arnaud,
left by bus in the morning for a short visit to Hermosillo,
on their return trip to California. Arnaud carried the in-
sect collection in a suitcase for safe transport. They
also carried several live specimens of Sauromalus varius as
part of their baggage. Dr. Rolf Bolin, ichthyologist from
Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station at Pacific
Grove, arrived at Guaymas in the evening, as well as two
fishermen from San Diego.

No. 86] ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION 19

April If 1953. Tuesday. Guaymas , Sonora.

The Ovoa was in port. Hanna was recovering from a mild
case of food poisoning presumably obtained at the dinner
in Guaymas.

April 8, 1953. Wednesday. Guaymas, Sonora to Bahia de
Santa Inez, Baja California Sur.

The Oroa left Guaymas at 0600. There was a brisk north
wind on the day's crossing of the Gulf. On the way deep
plankton hauls were made. In the first, with a fine mesh,
a half gallon of miscellaneous pteropods and crustaceans
were collected. Arrived at Bahia de Santa Inez, Baja Cali-
fornia Sur, at 1700. The fishermen caught 2 sharks and 2
bone fish before dark.

April 9, 1953. Thursday. Bahia de Santa Inez, Baja Cali-
fornia Sur.

Bolin and Sefton collected fish on shore all day and
took representatives of 27 species in tide pools. The
sport-fishermen, George and Doc, went out to Isla Santa
Inez trolling and came back with 34 groupers. The Captain
and Chief also got 7. Slevin and Hanna worked ashore and
obtained a good collection of shells -- living. Pleistocene,
and Pliocene. The living or recent shells were piled in
windrows on the beaches. The Pleistocene covers an elevated
bench up to 50 feet which extends inland about 3/4 of a
mile. In places it is 6 feet thick solid shells, calcareous
algae, and coral. A great many species are present, appar-
ently all living today. Although present, representatives
of the heavy species of Spondylus , Chama, the round form of
Ostrea^ Stromhus ^ and Fasaiolaria were not collected. The
Pliocene underlies this and forms the low hills behind the
bay. It is brown limy sand with the shells nearly all dis-
solved away. The rock was so tough and hard that it was
difficult to dig into, but collections were made of some
pectens and echinoids which were well preserved.

April 10, 1953. Friday. Bahia de Santa Inez, Baja Califor-
nia Sur.

The biologists and Sefton worked ashore, collecting
shore fishes, shells, etc., and taking photographs. Speci-
mens representing 2 species of Vermetus were found. One,
a very small form, grew in great head-like clusters at
about mid-tide. The fishermen, George and Doc, and Jackson
went fishing and returned with 30 fish, mostly groupers.

April 11, 1953. Saturday. Bahia de Santa Inez, Baja Cali-
fornia Sur to Bahia Coyote, Bahia Concepcion, Baja Califor-
nia Sur.

The Oraa went out into deep water in the early morning
to make deep plankton hauls for Bolin. The wind freshened
farther from shore, so that but 1 haul was made with 4,000
feet of line. The result was 4 small lantern fish. By the
time the net was brought in, a strong north wind of about
30 to 40 miles was blowing and the sea was so rough that
further work was impractical. Anchorage was sought there-
fore in the small well protected Bahia Coyote, and all went

20 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

ashore. Collections were made mostly around the mangrove
lagoon on the west side. In the lagoon there was a heavy
growth of coral and on the mangrove roots there were great
clusters of oysters. The latter were also attached to the
surrounding rocks. Kitchen middens were very extensive and
very deep, especially next to the cliffs of volcanic agglom-
erate. This is mostly andesite blocks up to several feet
in diameter, apparently the toe of a very massive flow. In
one place a 6-inch seam of yellowish opal was observed.

April 12, 1953. Sunday. Bahia Coyote, Bahia Concepcion,
Baja California Sur.

Bolin, Slevin, and Hanna went to a small island (no name)
near the anchorage this morning, but found no land shells.
Two geckos and 2 lizards were obtained. They then pro-
ceeded to Isla Coyote farther out and found specimens of a
Bulimulus species to be exceedingly abundant. Over 100
specimens were obtained, as well as some geckos and lizards.
In the afternoon they returned to the mangrove lagoon and
with a boat inside took many fine specimens of several
species of fishes in the growths about the mangrove roots.
The wind was strong all day but at night it was dead calm.

April 13, 1953. Monday. Bahia Coyote, Bahia Concepcion,
Baja California Sur.

Bolin, Slevin, and Hanna dredged in the morning, making
hauls in Bahia Coyote and across Bahia Concepcion at that
point, using the launch. Depths ranged from 2 to 16 fath-
oms. In every case the bottom was the same broken and
dead shells, sand and mud. It was detrital material washed
out from near shore, indicating that the whole bay is a
drowned valley. In the afternoon the Ovoa moved to the
head of Concepcion. There in the mangrove lagoon 10 species
of fish were obtained. On shore in several places there
were heaps of relatively fresh large Strombus shells which
had been broken open by natives who use the animals for
food.

April 14, 1953. Tuesday. Bahia Concepcion, Baja Califor-
nia Sur to San Inez, Baja California Sur.

Left anchorage in morning and made the run to Bahia de
Santa Inez in order to have a good start for Guaymas on the
15th. At Santa Inez Bay, Bolin and Hanna went ashore in
the afternoon to check the Pliocene farther inland to try
to get some good, well preserved fossils, but failed. The
beds are consolidated to a hard, tough, impure lime with
nearly all fossils dissolved out. Favorable preservation,
it was thought, could be found in the area and would be
very important. However, it would be necessary to have
enough time so that a careful search could be made. What
appeared to be fragments of Peoten keepi and other striking
Pliocene forms were seen. Wind continued to blow about 20
miles per hour even in the evening. Packing was practical-
ly completed preparatory to going ashore on the morning of
the 16th.

April 15, 1953. Wednesday. Bahia de Santa Inez, Baja Cal-

No. 86] ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION 21

ifornia Sur to Guaymas , Sonora.

Departure was made at midnight to try to avoid the
strong winds which spring up about 1100 each day. At day-
light a fairly successful 100-fathom plankton haul was made,
There were several lantern fishes and some other forms.
The trip across the Gulf was rough. The nearly constant
strong winds encountered in this part of the Gulf had been
totally unexpected. Upon arrival at Guaymas , the remainder
of the day was spent getting the collections and gear in
order to be put ashore as soon as Mr. A. E. Gundred of the
California Academy of Sciences arrived.

April 16, 1953. Thursday. Guaymas , Sonora.

The California Academy of Sciences and the Stanford Uni-
versity collections were loaded in the Academy's panel
truck which was driven to Guaymas by Alvin Gundred follow-
ing his arrival at 14 30. This was a very heavy load, too
heavy in fact, and the next day out of Hermosillo it was
necessary to dump the formaldehyde out of all fish and rep-
tile containers to lighten up. Bolin, Slevin, Gundred, and
Hanna left Guaymas at 0600 on the 17th, and after tire
trouble in Magdalena, arrived in Casa Grande, Arizona, at
2200. On the 18th the party returned to San Diego via
Yuma and reached San Francisco on the morning of the 20th.

April 17, 195 3. Friday. Guaymas, Sonora.

At this time the University of California, Los Angeles,
group joined the Ovca for work in the Gulf and returned to
San Diego at the beginning of May. The work of this third
part is not treated in this account.

SUMMARY

Significant collections were made by all scientific per-
sonnel. Some collections formed part of research studies
which were published almost immediately, see Cliff (1954),
while other portions of the collections have been utilized
in revisions and monographs, often from larger geographical
areas, as in the Diptera, see Melander (1961) and Wirth
(1969). It will be many decades, however, before all spec-
imens have been studied and described, particularly when
considering the insects collected.

The collections are deposited in a number of scientific
institutions, and these are as follows: fossils, mollusks,
and other marine invertebrates collected by Dr. G Dallas
Hanna are deposited in the collections of the Departments
of Geology and Invertebrate Zoology of the California Acad-
of Sciences; the reptiles collected by Mr. Joseph R. Slevin
are deposited with the Department of Herpetology, California
Academy of Sciences; the fishes collected by John C. Briggs
and scientific personnel are deposited with the Stanford
Fish Collections at Stanford University; the reptiles col-
lected by Frank S. Cliff, Alan E. Leviton, and John P. Figg-
Hoblyn were deposited with Stanford University and have
recently been transferred to the California Academy of
Sciences; the spiders, scorpions, and allies collected by

22

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

Bruce L. Firstman were deposited with the American Museum
of Natural History in 1962; the Coleoptera collected by
John P. Figg-Hoblyn and the Diptera and other insects col-
lected by Paul H. Arnaud, Jr. , were primarily donated to
the Department of Entomology, California Academy of Sci-
ences, in 1954.

The collections made by Arnaud and presented to the
Academy totaled 5,9 7 8 pinned specimens (of these, ^5 80 were
pinned while aboard the Oroa) . In addition, some series of
ants and a few scorpions preserved in alcohol and donated
to the California Academy of Sciences are not included in
this total. Entomological specimens distributed elsewhere
are as follows: collections of scale insects (Homoptera)
presented to the late Prof. G. F. Ferris, Stanford Univer-
sity; gall forming mites (Eriophyidae) presented to Mr. H.
H. Keifer, California Department of Agriculture, Sacramento;
a duplicate series of bees of the genus Ferdita presented
to Mr. P. H. Timberlake of the University of California,
Riverside; a large series of duplicate marine Dolichopodi-
dae of the subfamily Aphrosylinae from Isla San Geronimo
presented to Mrs. Marian Adachi Cohen, of the University of
Hawaii, Honolulu; duplicate marine shore flies of the fam-
ily Canaceidae presented to Dr. Willis W. Wirth, of the
United States National Museum; and a small collection of
about 100 Tachinidae and a similar number of insects col-
lected at Guaymas are retained in the Arnaud collection.

LITERATURE CITED

CLIFF, F,
1954.

EMERSON,
1964.

HANNA, G
1925.

HERTLEIN,
1957.

1966.

JOHNSON,
1959.

S.

Snakes of the islands in the Gulf of California,
Mexico. Transactions of the San Diego Society
of Natural History, vol. 12, no. 5, pp. 67-98,
pis. 6 & 7, figs. 1-4.
W. K., and HERTLEIN, L. G.

Invertebrate megafossils of the Belvedere expedi-
tion to the Gulf of California. Transactions
of the San Diego Society of Natural History,
vol. 13, no. 17, pp. 333-368, figs. 1-6.
D.

Expedition to Guadalupe Island, Mexico, in 1922.
General report. Proceedings of the California
Academy of Sciences, 4th ser., vol. 14, no. 12,
pp. 217-275, pis. 15-19, text figs. 1-2.

L. G.

Pliocene and Pleistocene fossils from the south-
ern portion of the Gulf of California. Bul-
letin of the Southern California Academy of
Sciences, vol. 56, pt. 2, pp. 57-75, pi. 13.

Pliocene fossils from Rancho El Refugio, Baja
California, and Cerralvo Island, Mexico. Pro-
ceedings of the California Academy of Sciences,
4th ser., vol. 30, no. 14, pp. 265-284, figs.
1-17.
D. E., and JOHNSON, L. M.

Notes on the genus Lordotus Loew , with descrip-

No. 86]

ARNAUD:

ORCA EXPEDITION

23

\

KEIFER,
1959

KELSEY,
1969

LINDSAY,
1952.

MARTIN,
1968

MELANDER,
1961.

REINHARD,
1958.

RICHARDS,
1963.

SLEVIN, J
1923.

TIMBERLAKE,
1958. i^

WIRTH, W.
1969.

tions of new species (Diptera: Bombyliidae) .
The Great Basin Naturalist, vol. 19, no. 1, pp.
9-26.
H. H.

Eriophyid studies XXVII. Occasional Papers,

Bureau of Entomology, California Department of
Agriculture, no. 1, pp. 1-18, pis. 1-12.
L. P.

A revision of the Scenopinidae (Diptera) of the
world. United States National Museum Bulletin,
no. 277, pp. i-v, 1-336, figs. 1-208.
G. E.

The Sefton Foundation - Stanford University expe-
dition to the Gulf of California, 1952. Re-
printed by Belvedere Scientific Fund [Califor-
nia Academy of Sciences] , San Francisco, Cali-
fornia, pp. 1-98, map.
. H.

New Mexican AoTonyohes and Parataractious (Dip-
tera: Asilidae) . The Pan-Pacific Entomologist,
vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 179-183.
A. L.

The genus Mythioomyia (Diptera: Bombyliidae) .
The Wasmann Journal of Biology (1960), vol. 18,
no. 2, pp. 161-261.

H. J.

North American Tachinidae (Diptera) . Journal of
the Kansas Entomological Society, vol. 31,
no. 4, pp. 277-284.

O. W.

Sphaerocerid flies from South and Central America
in the collection of the California Academy of
Sciences (Diptera) . The Pan-Pacific Entomolo-
gist, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 231-246, figs. 1-14.

Expedition of the California Academy of Sciences
to the Gulf of California in 1921. General
account. Proceedings of the California Academy
of Sciences, 4th ser. , vol. 12, no. 6, pp. 55-
7 2 , map .
P. H.

A revisional study of the bees of the genus Per-
dita F. Smith, with special reference to the
fauna of the Pacific Coast (Hymenoptera,
Apoidea) Part III. University of California
Publications in Entomology, vol. 14, no. 5,
pp. 303-410, pis. 4-15.

W.

The shore flies of the genus Canaceoides Cresson
(Diptera: Canaceidae) . Proceedings of the
California Academy of Sciences, 4th ser., vol.
36, no. 19, pp. 551-570, figs. 1-36.

No. 86]

ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION

25

FIGURE 1. Research ship OToa.
the late Mr. Sefton.

Photograph furnished by

26

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

FIGURE 2. Route of the 1953 Sefton Ovca Expedition,
Parts I and II, to the Gulf of California. The localities
are indicated by numbered circles and are as follows:

Part I. March 9 - April 5, 1953

1. San Diego, California (9 March)

2. Cabo Colnett, Baja California Norte (9 March)

3. Isla San Geronimo (10 March)

4. Bahia del Sur, Isla de Cedros (11 March)

5. Bahia San Bartolome, Baja California Sur (12 March)

6. Punta Abreojos, Baja California Sur (13 March)

7. Bahia Santa Maria, Baja California Sur (14, 15 March)

8. Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur (16, 17 March)

9. Los Frailes, Baja California Sur (18, 19 March)

10. Punta Gordas , Isla Cerralvo (20, 21 March)

11. Isla Espiritu Santo, Isla Partida (22, 23 March)

12. Isla San Francisco (24 March)

13. Bahia Amortajada, Isla San Jose (24, 25 March)

14. Isla Santa Cruz (26 March)

15. Bahia Agua Verde, Baja California Sur (26 March)

16. Isla Santa Catalina (27 March)

17. Bahia de Ballandra, Isla de Carmen (27, 28 March)

18. Loreto, Baja California Sur (28, 29 March)

19. Isla Ildefonso (30 March)

20. Punta Pulpito, Baja California Sur (30, 31 March)

21. Isla San Marcos (31 March)

22. Isla de San Esteban (1, 2 April)

23. Isla San Pedro Martir (3 April)

24. Bahia San Pedro, Sonora (3, 4 April)

Part II. April 6-16, 1953

25. Guaymas, Sonora (4-7, 16 April)

26. Bahia de Santa Inez, Baja California Sur (8-10, 14

April)

27. Bahia Coyote, Baja California Sur (11-13 April)

28. Bahia Concepcion, Baja California Sur (13 April)

No. 86]

ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION

27

UNITED STATES

MEXICO

115

110°

28

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

FIGURE 3. Mr. Slevin, on left and Dr. Hanna on right,
aboard research ship Oroa, off Pacific coast Baja Califor-
nia.

FIGURE 4. Left to right, Engineer McNeilage, Captain
Ellis and crewman Wall, on bridge Oroa.

No. 86]

ARNAUD:

ORCA EXPEDITION

29

HaTk

.A :

^ -^ ->■£fess-■«|J^

'^t-4^-

^"^.

-.-. i

0-

i4

FIGURE 5. A robber fly, Parataratiaus areniaola Martin,
Los Frailes, Holotype male.

FIGURE 6. Oraa at anchorage, looking east from Isla
Espiritu Santo on right and Isla Partida on left.

30

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

FIGURE 7. A scenopinid fly, Scenopinus seftoni Kelsey,
Isla Espiritu Santo, Holotype male.

FIGURE 8. Rowing back from shore collecting, Isla San
Francisco, left to right, Mr. Slevin, Ball, Figg-Hoblyn,
Cliff, Levi ton, and Briggs .

No. 86]

ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION

31

FIGURE 9. Marine shore fly, Canaoeoides setosus Wirth,
Isla Santa Catalina, Holotype female.

FIGURE 10. Interior of Isla de Carmen, facing west to-
ward Puerto Ballandra.

32

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

.««.«if> <Ti- -w*^ •^. rwjt.

I'.^f&Si*

FIGURE 11. Trail from La Salina to Puerto Ballandra,
Isla de Carmen, with resident and burros.

FIGURE 12. Trail leading to La Salina at end of trail
from Puerto Ballandra, Isla de Carmen.

No. 86]

ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION

33

FIGURE 13. Young Blue-footed Boobies {Sula nebouxii) in
cliff, Isla Ildefonso.

FIGURE 14. Young Osprey {Pandion haliaetus) in nest, on
Isla Ildefonso.

34

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

FIGURE 15. Punta Pulpito, Baja California Sur, with a
mass of vein-like black crumbly obsidian (photograph taken
by Dr. G Dallas Hanna) .

FIGURE 16. Dr. Hanna on Isla San Esteban, main canyon,
with large Cardon {Pachyoereus pringtei) left foreground.

No. 86]

ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION

35

FIGURE 17. Machaerooereus gummosus , left foreground, and
Cardon {P achy cere us pringlei) , Isla San Esteban.

FIGURE 18. The "docile chuckwalla" [Sauromalus varius)
held by Figg-Hoblyn, on left, and Arnaud, Isla San Esteban.

36

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers

20

FIGURE 19. Minute bee fly, Mythicomyia fumipennis Me-
lander, Isla San Esteban, Holotype male.

FIGURE 20. Rowing skiff for return to Oroa, a daily oc-
currence, with left to right. Dr. Hanna, Arnaud, Firstman
and Ball (photograph by John P. Figg-Hoblyn) .

No. 86]

ARNAUD: ORCA EXPEDITION

37

FIGURE 21. Isla San Pedro Martir, with landing party
skiff rowing ashore. Cardon {Paohycereus pringlei) on up-
per slopes.

COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATION

Dr. George E. Lindsay, Chairman
Dr. Edward L. Kessel, Editor Dr. Leo G. Hertlein

WH liFX L