90 MAMMALS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY. 



Piles of loose stones line the sides of the cavern at this point, and along 

 the foot of the arching walls are strewn the indescribable collection of 

 materials with which this animal is sure to adorn and litter its by-ways. 

 Among these were found the nuts and seeds of various trees and plants grow- 

 ing around the mouth of the cave, showing unmistakably the chief source of 

 their food supply, and that they by no means confine their wanderings to the 

 cave itself. I was unable to find the nests or remains of the rats, but the 

 numberless narrow passageways, stone heaps, and crevices undoubtedly con- 

 cealed these from search as well as the live animals. Of their numbers it was 

 impossible to get information. The guides rarely see them, and their haunts 

 seem to be largely confined to the particular locality I have mentioned. No 

 instance had come to their (the guides') notice of the rats building a nest 

 openly on the floor of the cave, as has been stated to be the custom of the 

 same species in the caves of Virginia. 



The rat from Mammoth Cave, which I kept alive, was so precisely a 

 duplicate, both in appearance and actions, of one I had previously studied 

 and which came from Clinton County, Pennsylvania, that the thought of their 

 being different species or races could not be entertained, and the examina- 

 tion of their anatomy confirms such a negative view. 



Any suspicion of blindness or deficient eyesight, such as is exemplified in 

 some of the lower orders of animal life in the cave, cannot attach to this 

 mammal. As in all the more strictly nocturnal rodents, the eyes of this 

 species are greatly developed ; nevertheless, they are able to make most 

 intelligent use of them in broad daylight, if need be. My pet cave rat was 

 very sleepy in the daytime, and if given the materials would quickly make a 

 globular nest in which to hide. The favorite position of rest was on the side, 

 coiled, with the nose resting on the abdomen and tail curled around the 

 body. It frequently would " sit on its head," as it were, by leaning forward 

 and placing its nose near the root of the tail, that member acting as a sort of 

 prop to prevent the animal from turning a somersault in its sleep. Some- 

 times it would lie stretched out at full length on its side, the tail straight and 

 the hind feet extended to their farthest limit. It invariably picked up objects 

 with its teeth, though its fore-feet were quite capable of the service, and the 

 dexterity with which it would manipulate a nut with one or both paws was 

 astonishing. In eating this kind of food it would quickly rasp a small hole, 

 and, inserting the long lower incisors, clip off pieces of the kernel and extract 

 them with great adroitness through an opening less than a quarter of an inch 

 in diameter. All kinds of vegetable and animal food were acceptable to it, 

 but it seemed to prefer nuts and grain to anything else, though cabbage and 

 apples were a favorite dessert, and it greatly enjoyed sharpening its teeth on 

 candy toys. It was a great drinker, lapping water like a dog. In defending 

 itself it would stand on its hind legs and strike with great force with the fore 



