Fauna, Subterranean. 139 



I found, Pristonychus elegans, Dej., rather frequently, and Homa- 

 lola spelcea, Er., in considerable numbers ; the former in all the 

 Luege grottos, the other in the Magdalena and Adelsberg caves. 

 They may be observed under stones and in loose earth, close at 

 the entrance, where a dim light is admitted ; afterwards, as we 

 penetrate deeper into the darkness, they become more frequent ; 

 after which they again disappear. I, however, saw solitary spe- 

 cimens of both, in the innermost portion of the Adelsberg cave, 

 ascending on recent columns to a height of several ells above the 

 floor of the cave. Anophthalmus Schmidtii appears to be very 

 rare indeed ; and I have only met with two specimens in the in- 

 nermost part of the Luege grotto among decayed wood.* Phe- 

 rusa alba, Koch, was very common in all the caves, showing itself 

 soon after entering the dark part. Hypochtkon (Proteus) anguinus 

 was found here and there in the Magdalena river, in the innermost 

 part of the cave of that name, and may almost always be pur- 

 chased of the conductors. On perceiving the torchlight it usually 

 remains quiet in the water ; but the first attempt to catch it is 

 rarely successful. The moment you bring your net under it, the 

 animal suddenly darts off with a serpentine motion to a distance 

 of several ells ; after which it remains again stationary in the 

 water, when the attempt is more likely to succeed. 



I now proceed to give an account of the new cave-animals. 



The family of Silphidce is increased by two remarkable new 

 genera. Of one of these, Bathyscia, I am acquainted with two 

 species, both very small, blind, and without wings ; but otherwise 

 so perfectly like Choleva in appearance that, without the most 

 careful examinalion, they might be referred to that genus. They 

 differ essentially in their toothed mandibulae, the absence of the 

 horny tooth, which in Choleva, Colon, and Silpha, terminates the 

 masticatory lobe of the maxillae ; and, more strikingly, by their 

 four-jointed tarsi of the anterior legs, a proportion which here 

 occurs for the first time in one of the members of the family Sil- 

 phidce ; moreover, the labellumf is much more developed, and 



* In a small, completely dark space in the cave where the castle stands, be- 

 hind it, and separated by a brick wall, Mr. Hellmuth von Kiesenwetter, who 

 accompanied me during my tour in the Alps and to the caves, also found a spe- 

 cimen of this species. 



t I propose this term for the coriaceous ciliated appendage, which projects in 

 many families, in a more or less degree, from the under surface of the upper lip. 

 lam aware that Erichson uses the word Parachilia for similar parts in theScaruba-ides, 

 in his most recent work (Naturgeschichte der Ins. Deutschl. iii. p. 553); but 

 this term, being founded on the assumption that these parts have the same re- 



