Vlii PREFACE. 



Colossal, and Nickajack belong, beginning in or about the campus of Indiana 

 University. But while seemingly ideally located, and in spite of the fact that 

 numerous trips were made to Indiana caves, especially those from which blind 

 fishes had been reported, no blind fishes were found till 1896. 



In May, 1896, I was again looking for blind fishes east of Mitchell, Indiana, 

 this region being drained by underground streams. East of Mitchell several of 

 these find their exit in caves of romantic beauty in the escarpment flanking the valley 

 of White River (plate A). The roof over one of the streams has fallen in at two 

 places, Dalton's Spring and Twin Caves. At Dalton's Spring the cave-stream 

 runs above ground for about 100 yards when it again enters its subterranean course. 

 Within sight of the lower opening of the "spring" I saw two blind fishes swimming 

 in a quiet pool. I secured about 20 specimens and had found the stream which in 

 its varying reaches has furnished me with an unlimited supply of specimens which 

 have enabled me to give the complete history of the eye of this species, Amblyopsis 

 spelaus De Kay. More material has been obtained from this cave than from all 

 others put together. In 1903 the State legislature of Indiana placed the land, 

 about 182 acres, on which are the entrances and exits to this stream in the keeping 

 of the trustees of Indiana University. While some litigation has arisen as to the 

 ownership of the farm, it will probably be permanently preserved as a State park. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 



Through grants from the Elizabeth Thompson Science Fund and from the 

 American Association for the Advancement of Science I have been able to visit 

 the cave regions of southwestern Missouri, about San Marcos, Texas, Corydon, 

 Indiana, and Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. In 1902, through a grant from the 

 American Association for the Advancement of Science and assistance from various 

 other sources, I was able to visit the blind-fish caves of Cuba. Subsequently the 

 Carnegie Institution of Washington aided me in making additional investiga- 

 tions in Cuba. The part of the present volume dealing with Stygicola and Lucifuga 

 is my final report on the work carried on with this aid, and in it a detailed account 

 of the Cuban work is given. 



Prof. S. A. Forbes kindly lent the drawing for figure a, plate 1. The draw- 

 ings of sections of eyes were made under my direction by Mrs. E. R. Bieling in the 

 laboratory of Prof. R. Wiedersheim, in the University of Freiburg, Germany, and 

 I am indebted to Professor Wiedersheim for placing his laboratory at my disposal. 



I am under many obligations to various friends, both at home and in Cuba. 

 Mr. Oscar Riddle, Dr. John Beede, Mr. John Haseman, Mr. Norman Mclndoo, 

 and Mr. T. L. Hankinson acted as volunteer assistants on various Cuban trips, 

 always working without remuneration and in part paying their own expenses. 

 The late Prof. Jose T. Torralbas, Prof. Carlos de la Torre, Mr. Pascual Ferreiro, 

 Dr. Felix Garcia, and the Director of the Cuban Agricultural Station, Prof. F. S. 

 Earl, assisted me materially in various ways. 



The assistance of my friend, Mr. Francesco Martinez, has been invaluable. 

 His finca, the "Isabella," is at the margin of the cave region of Cuba, and in the 

 interval between our trips he ferreted out unsuspected caves, determined their rich- 

 ness in blind fishes, and put himself at our disposal in guiding us to his various finds. 



Prof. D. W. Dennis of Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana, made the micro- 

 photographs in a manner to leave nothing desired (plates 9, 10, 16-23). 



