pee ry es . 
~ y. : 4 > : ' 
| PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 117 
Mr. Sampson informs me that the animal was caught on the rocky 
walls of the cave about 600 feet from the entrance. The Rock House 
Cave is “‘an erosion of rocks of the Chouteau and Burlington forma- 
tions, in places not more than 2 feet wide, and in others several times 
that, and extending into the hill about a quarter of a mile.” 
Although many of our salamanders are known to inhabit caves, this 
seems to be the only one, so far discovered, which, like some of the 
other animals exclusively living in caves, has become blind, or nearly so. 
I am at present unable to indicate the forms with functional eyes to 
which the present genus is most nearly allied, or from which it may 
have descended. The unique character of the vomerine teeth at once 
removes it from all the species with which I am acquainted, and this, 
combined with several other characters, gives this genus quite an iso- 
lated position. Buta further discussion of this may safely be post- 
poned until the arrival of additional material shall enable us to study 
the anatomical structure of this remarkable animal. 
