Feb. 1901. Observations on Indiana Caves — Farrington. 249 



according to Blatchley's measurements, is one and one-sixth miles 

 from the entrance to the cave. I may also remark that I noticed a 

 similar wideness of distribution of the bats in Coan's Cave, though 

 that is only one-eighth of a mile in length. These observations 

 seem to contradict the statement of Mr. William H. Hess,* that "bats 

 as a rule go but a short distance from the entrance," and throw 

 doubt on any theory of the origin of' nitrates in cave earths which 

 rests on the assumption that bats do not inhabit the mora remote 

 portions of caves. 



Vermiform Stalactites. — The vermiform stalactites which are to 

 be seen in many places in this cave have attracted the attention of 

 many observers and brought forth many theories as to their origin. 

 These theories are admirably summed up and the subject ably 

 treated in the paper by Merrill " On the formation of stalactites and 

 gypsum incrustations in caves, "f My observations lead me substan- 

 tially to agree with Merrill's conclusion that the, vermiform character 

 of stalactites of this cave is due to the fact that the drops of water 

 making them have been guided to other positions than those dictated 

 by gravity by the directions assumed by spicules of calcite in crystal- 

 lizing. It appears to me, however, that the carbonate of lime pro- 

 ducing this effect must be in a condition differing somewhat from the 

 ordinary pulverulent form in which it appears at the end of the 

 usual stalactite tube, or in other words, that some additional condi- 

 tions must be appealed to in order to lead to the formation of stalac- 

 tites of this sort. 



The resemblance of the stalactites to the well-known forms of 

 aragonite denominated flos ferri is quite striking, and perhaps of some 

 significance. Senft^ reached the conclusion that the flos ferri forms 

 of aragonite were produced from very dilute solutions of carbonate of 

 lime, which, owing to protection from changes of air and tempera- 

 ture, evaporated very slowly. Calling attention to the form of 

 the spicules of aragonite he deduced much the same theory for* the 

 origin of the flos ferri forms as that suggested by Merrill for the 

 Wyandotte Cave vermiform stalactites. It is characteristic of ara- 

 gonite, however, to crystallize in slender needles, but not so of cal- 

 cite. Tests which I have made of the specific gravity of the sub- 

 stance of the Wyandotte vermiform stalactites indicates that it is, as 



♦Journal of Geology, Vol. 8, No. 2. 



tProc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. XVII, pp. 77-81. 



JDie Wanderungen und Wandelungen des kohlensaures Kalkes, Zeitschrift der Deutsche 

 Geologische Gesellachaft, Vol. XIII, p. 269. 



