Page 115 - Early Naturalists of the Black Range

Frank Stevens Maltby / George E. Coghill / William Haws Coghill
Maltby knew, and collected plants with, Herrick (see below), most notably in Western Mexico/Tres Marias Islands. NMSU maintains most of the 550+ specimens he collected during his life.
The Coghill brothers and Maltby, sometimes with Herrick, collected together, having great success in the upper Pecos. Many of their specimen sheets are also at NMSU.
Clarence Luther Herrick
The second President of the University of New Mexico (1897-1901) was many things, including a geologist, ornithologist, neurologist, and botanist who published many papers on these topics. The fossil genus Herrickiceras, an ammonite, is named in his honor.
The term “polymath” is often overused. In the case of Herrick, it is a descriptive term. His writings were significant and varied. Below is a short excerpt from a listing of his publications. The publications list is several pages long. The range of topics is significant.
Charles Henry Tyler Townsend
Townsend named and described more than 3,000 species of tachinid, one of the “fly” families. His taxonomic philosophy remains controversial today. He was a splitter who often made personal (verbal and written) attacks on those who disagreed with his determination.
He remained in Jamaica for two years, returning to Texas to do contract work for the Bureau of Entomology, studying the Cotton Boll Weevil threat when it first became obvious.
Sidney Stuart Wilson
In Vol. 9, No. 6 (Nov. 30, 1897) of the Wilson Bulletin, Wilson listed “Some Common Birds of New Mexico” in southwestern New Mexico during the previous summer. Species included Curve-billed Thrasher, Cassin’s Kingbird, Roadrunner, and House Finch.
Wilson did research at Fort Bayard during the summers of 1896 and 1897. In The Auk, XVI, pp. 188-189, 1899, “Some Additional New Mexican Birds”, he listed 19 species which he observed in that area.
Herrick was one of the earliest well-versed geologists in the Territory. A cadre of geologists from the United States Geologic Survey followed quickly and made major additions to our knowledge of the geology of New Mexico.
The NMSU Plant Collection includes specimens collected by Herrick.
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