PREFACE. 



THE following pages were first published in the " Ameri- 

 can Naturalist" for December, 1871 and January, 1872, with 

 the exception of the Synopsis of the family including the 

 Blind fishes of the cave, which was first published in the 

 "Annual Keport of the Peabody Academy of Science for 

 1871." 



In bringing the several articles together in the present 

 form but slight changes have been made, principally in the 

 form of a few additional notes. 



It will undoubtedly be the good fortune of some visitors 

 to the cave to discover other kinds of animals than those 

 mentioned in the following pages, and to observe new facts 

 relating to the habits of the various species. For it must 

 be remembered that all the observations thus far recorded 

 have been made by but a very few of the thousands who 

 annually visit the Mammoth Cave, and that no thorough zo- 

 ological exploration of the cave has yet been undertaken. 

 Should any new facts be observed, or unknown species dis- 

 covered, the authors of this little work would be pleased to 

 be informed of them, and communications on all such 

 matters are solicited for publication in the pages of the 



AMERICAN NATURALIST. 



THE AUTHORS. 



PEABODY ACADEMY OF SCIENCE, Salem, Mass., Feb. 1872. 



