Arizona republican., 1911-09-30

life, while in the east it would be similarly conducted in field and for est to learn the species natural to the particular section. Mir. Nelson is here this time. not to start or accompany any field parties but merely on a reconnaissance and to learn all he can concerning the con ditiOns of the larger game animals.
 their abundance, etc. MT. Nelson
 says there has been considerable
 "piecemeal" work done in Arizona
 from time to time but no general
 survey has been made and it will
 probably be years before such a sur
 vey will be perfected, though much
 data is already at hand In this
 connection he made the interesting
 observation that in the so-called des-
 ert countries the smaller mammal life
 is much more abundant than in the
 eastern forests and plains. The dry
 air preserves the year around seeds
 Of the desert shrubbery on which
 the animals subsist. and some of
 course subsist on each other, so that
 altogether the natural desert is
 more pOpulous place in resnect of
 animal life than most people imagine,
 or than most people would believe until shown a collection of the many
 specimens procured in almost any given area
 Though MT. Nelson has made Washington, D. C. his home for many years he is something of an Arizona pioneer as he came to Apache coun- {, s,, being then a fine representative of the species now often referred to as 'lungers." He was restored to health and strength, being now as broad shouldered and ruddy faced as any one would care to be, having the appearance of one who had never known a day of illness. And since leaving Arizona he has travelled wide ly in varying climates. Years ago he headed an expedition to Alaska for the bureau of ethnology of the | Smithsonian institution for the study l of the Esquimaux and returning | wrote a report of his investigations |
 Mir. Nelson is recognized as one | of the leading scientists of the de partment. especially ir respect of | mammals and in conversation with | him the thought was self suggestive. | of how one line of scientific research | merges into another. No two lines | of investigation would seem to be | more remote from each other than i that of medical science and sanita- | ton, and that of studying the fauna | of wild country and vet they na- | turally converged in California where | the doctors traced the dissemination | of bubonic plague to rats and then to ground squirrels The latter were mentioned in talking to Mir. Nelson If Arizona gophers, kangaroo rats. jack rabbits and other small animals, when it was recalled that the doc tors had discovered that rats dis seminated germs by the fleas they carried The fleas were passed alng to the ground squirrels When an occasional case of plague was found
 in California and the victims habits fl were traced back it was discovered Il that they had shot squirrels and II placed them in their game bags. fleas and all. infection following And II speaking of fleas," said NIT. Nelson. Il
 h'Ntl 9eN So lldIN dlN where as r Alaska and remember one night when I was almost eaten up with II .hem"
 Dr. Nelson D. Brayton was prob ably more pleased than any other nan in Phoenix. at the visit of NIT. Nelson. for he is an old time friend pf the doctors parents and knew hem before they were married In | act the doctor was named after him. Il hough he never met him until CIV years ago, and had not seen him or a long time until he met him a hort time ago in Flagstaff. where Nr. Nelson was visiting his brother. red Nelson, district attorney of Apache county.