The Arthur James Cain Papers (1945-1988) contain correspondence, grant applications, reports, programs for scientific meetings, unpublished papers and lectures, research notes, charts, graphs, maps, and manuscript reviews of journal articles and books. The bulk of the papers dates from the 1960s and 1970s, documenting the height of Cain's career as a biologist at the University of Liverpool. Some of the earliest items of the collection, ca. 1945-1946, are letters to Cain from English author and literary scholar, C. S. Lewis.
| Series I. | Correspondence, 1945-1988 | 25 boxes; 12.5 linear feet |
| Series II. | Subject files, 1951-1988 | 5.5 boxes; 2.75 linear feet |
| Series III. | Papers by colleagues, 1952-1980 | 0.5 box; 0.25 linear feet |
| Series I, II. | Oversized materials | 1 box; .25 linear feet |
Cain's correspondence (Series I) represents the largest part of the collection, and contains some of the most noteworthy material. Letters discussing his research, expeditions, and data with fellow biologists are of particular interest. Research notes in the form of complete notebooks, per se, are not common; most of the pertinent information on Cain's research topics is dispersed throughout his correspondence with colleagues and in the miscellaneous documents filed in the subject files (Series II). The subject files also contain information regarding Cain's memberships and activities in biological societies and scientific organizations, and his Oxford University expeditions to the British Solomon Islands and British Guiana.