28 FAUNA OF MAYFIELD'S CAVE. 



Blatchley (1896, 194) found 5 specimens in Porter's Cave. The 

 species inhabits Canada and the northeastern United States, extending 

 south through the Middle States.* 



Platynus tenuicollis Le Conte. 



One specimen was obtained from Twin Cave, 1 from Donaldson's 

 Cave, 2 from Truett's Cave, and 3 from Mayfield's Cave. Two of those 

 from Mayfield's Cave and one from Donaldson's Cave were taken near 

 the mouth, while those in Truett's Cave and one in Mayfield's were far 

 back in absolute darkness. They were found under stones. Outside 

 of caves this species lives under stones along streams in deep ravines. 



Platynus punctiformis Say. 

 Ent. Works, Le Conte ed., vol. ii, 481. 



A single specimen was found in Mayfield's at "41" two weeks after 

 a freshet. Doubtless the occurrence of this beetle was altogether 

 fortuitous. 



Cope took a species of Platynus ' * in the outer part of a branch of 

 Wyandotte Cave," and is quoted as authority for Platynus marginatus 

 having been taken in either Hamer's, Connelley's, or Donaldson's Cave 

 (Collett, 1873, 305). Packard (1873, 93) records P. marginatus from a 

 cave near Orleans, Indiana. 



The occurrence of 4 species of a single genus of Carabidse in caves, 

 3 of which can scarcely be considered accidental, is very interesting as 

 illustrating the tendency of certain fitted groups to frequent caves and 

 take up residence therein. Six specimens of a closely related genus 

 (Pristonychus) are found in European caves, t 



Of the family Carabidse, there are 12,000 or 13,000 species known. 

 Nearly all are terrestrial and there are many with rudimentary wings. 

 The following is taken from Sharp (Cambridge Natural History, vol. 

 VI, pp. 205 and 206) : 



There are a considerable number of blind members of this family. Some of them 

 live in caverns. These belong chiefly to the genus Anopthalmus, species of which have 

 been detected in the caves of the Pyrenees of Austria and of North America. It has 

 been shown that the optic nerves and lobes, as well as the external organs of vision, 

 are entirely wanting in some of these cave Carabidae; the tactile setas have, however, 



*H. F. Wickham, Iowa City, Iowa. 



tit might be in place here to mention the ^ndmg'oi Atr anus pubescens Dejean in 

 Truett's Cave. Specimens were taken in a room 60 feet from the mouth. Of course 

 they may have been washed in, but 3 of them were found, while a single specimen of 

 Platynus tenuicollis Le Conte was the only other outside form seen, so their occurrence 

 seems scarcely accidental. If these had been washed in other species should have met 

 the same fate. This species is widely distributed in the eastern United States and 

 Canada. 



