J.O. Anderson 1957 Journal Oct. 13 Valencia Lagoon, Rio del Mar, Santa Cruz Co., Calif. Left Berkeley at 8:30 am with Dot Wilkoft. Arrived study area at 10:45 am. Rain's hard upon arrival. Checked the "pond area" & willow clumps for salamanders, found nothing. No Ilyla active either. Dead Elecharis from last year very neat, mostly fallen over - very thick. Very wet at fringes of willow clump. Under willows the litter was very wet but ground under only slightly moist. Not hard however. In pond area the soil has softened over its usual summer state. Only largest cracks remain & these begin to crumble. In many places, especially near the cat-tail clumps soil is very wet - water can be squeezed from it. at far N end of "pond area" there is standing water. Several distinct, elongate pools about 10 yds long & [illegible] 1 ft or less wide. This averaged about 1" deep - up to 2" in one place. Not sure why this should have water & no place else, unless the creek brought it in. At 12 noon took short walk up into oak woods. Saw only 1 Batrachoseps. Still fairly phly under larger logs & boards. Rotter logs, however, are wet - can squeeze water from them. Leaf litter wet but if it is thick the ground is not very wet underneath. The upper road, close to junction with Bonita Rd. has a road