136 GLEANINGS FROM NATURE. 



we enter the " Western Avenue or Short Route," the 

 principal feature of which is the " Pillared Palace,'' 

 where giant pillars, stalactites and stalagmites are so 

 numerous that it is with difficulty the visitor winds 

 his way between and around them. This portion of 

 the cave extends but about 150 feet in a westerly di- 

 rection, and into it has been dug an artificial opening 

 from the surface, forty feet above. Retracing our 

 steps for the last time, we turn to the left at the 

 mouth of the Pillared Palace and pass through 

 another boAver of beauty, the " Queen's Palace," a 

 small room whose walls are composed wholly of pil- 

 lars and stalagmites. Beyond this we pass the " Dia- 

 mond Dome," the largest stalagmite of the cave, thir- 

 ty-one feet in diameter and reaching from ceiling to 

 floor, and emerge into Grand Entrance Hall, which 

 was our starting point. 



In the crevices of the walls of this hall the cave 

 salamander has its abiding places and among the de- 

 bris which has fallen from the roof a number of white- 

 footed mice, Calomys americanus (Kerr), have taken 

 up their home. They have been noted 



A Cave eyer g j nce ^ e cav e was discovered, but 

 Inhabiting 



Mouse. seem to keep close to the entrance, 



through which, however, no light 

 passes. In the winter season they are very destructive 

 to sweet potatoes and pumpkins stored in the cave, and 

 at other seasons evidently subsist upon the tallow drip- 

 pings and other refuse matter left by the visitors. 

 They differ much in appearance from above-ground 

 examples of the same species, having larger external 

 ears, longer whiskers and more protruding eyes. 



