Finally, the type specimen of _munda_ is a "runt," smaller than any
other male seen. This specimen, purchased by E. A. and O. Bangs from C.
A. Allen, who collected and sold specimens widely, was labeled as from
Point Reyes. So far as this place-name is concerned, it might refer to:
(1) The point of land by that name which projects out into the Pacific
Ocean, (2) an abandoned ranch house bearing that name at the head of
Drakes Bay, 6 miles north and 3-3/4 miles east of the actual point, or
(3) the railway station by the same name at the head of Tomales Bay,
12 miles east and 4-3/4 miles north of the actual point. Allen,
himself, lived near San Geronimo (then Nicasio) about nine miles
southeast of the Point Reyes railway station. All these places are in
Marin County, but differ markedly as regards climate and flora. The
first two are treeless, windswept and have much fog, whereas Point
Reyes Station is more often sunny, and is situated in a shallow valley,
inland, where the open grass-covered west-facing slopes meet the
east-facing wooded ones. From which one of these three places the type
specimen came, I do not know. The same may be said of the three female
specimens labeled Point Reyes; two of these are in the United States
National Museum and one in the Field Museum.
The specimens in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoölogy from 5 and 6 miles
west of Inverness and those from near the same place in the collection
of John Cushing come from within a couple of miles or less of the Point
Reyes represented by the abandoned ranch house. These specimens, as
remarked above, agree with those from Point Arena in large size,
reduced facial markings and wide skull. These are points of difference
from the smaller variant suspected of being a recognizable subspecies.
It is the smaller variant which the type specimen approaches in size,
and with which it agrees in relatively well-developed white facial
markings. This suggests that the type specimen came from Point Reyes
Station rather than from either of the two other places bearing the
name "Point Reyes," from one of which, as just stated, the variant of
large size is known. The three females labeled "Point Reyes" also have
well-developed white facial markings and are of lesser size than the
female of similar age from Point Arena, Mendocino County. The
presumption is that these three females also came from Point Reyes
Station.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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