86 Naturalist at Large 



pond in autumn in New England. We cracked this, care- 

 fully slipped the sheets of lime rock aside, and then could 

 look down by the rather feeble light of our candles into a 

 crystal-clear pool. There, to our delight, we could see num- 

 bers of pure white, quite obviously blind shrimps — new, 

 too, to science! — swimming tranquilly about. 



We collected a series of these in a dip net and then, to 

 our dehght again, found around the margin of the pool 

 little sow bugs, or pill bugs, as we often call them here in 

 New England. You see them here about Boston, slate- 

 colored, swarming under brickbats or old boards in farm- 

 yard or garden. These, too, were pure white and com- 

 pletely without eyes. We bottled a supply of specimens 

 and then retraced our way, winding up our ball of twine 

 and making a good collection of bats during the return 

 trip. It was a pleasure to get back to the surface and to 

 breathe fresh air again. We clambered up the strangler fig 

 by which we had descended, mounted our horses, and rode 

 back to Madruga. 



Cuba is honeycombed with caves. There are Innumerable 

 places where streams disappear underground. After the 

 most torrential rainfalls many areas show no standing water 

 at all. And, of course, the story of the marvelous Bellemar 

 Caves at Matanzas is well known. A Chinese was working 

 here with a crowbar, making holes in a rocky area to set 

 out sisal plants. All of a sudden, after a particularly lusty 

 stroke, his iron bar slipped from his hands and disappeared 

 This is the way these famous caves were found, and now 

 they are entered by a long flight of iron stairs lit with elec- 

 tric lights, and enchant with their beauty thousands of 

 visitors from all parts of the world. 



