THE ROMANCE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



In 1845, three caves near Adelsburg and one 

 near Trieste were examined by Professor Schifidte. 

 Koch, Schmidt, and others had already announced 

 the existence in these caves of a blind fauna, be- 

 sides the proteus. An Oniscus, a beetle of the 

 family Staphylinidue, and two belonging to the 

 CarabidaBj were found to be either totally desti- 

 tute of eyes, or to have these organs reduced to 

 rudimentary specks. Schiodte added to these two 

 new species of Silphadw, a species of spring-tail, 

 two remarkable spiders, each constituting a new 

 genus, and a crustacean.* Still later, Schmidt has 

 discovered two more beetles in these caves, in- 

 habiting the deepest recesses, and described as 

 perfectly eyeless, yet retreating quickly from the 

 light of the explorers' torches into clefts of the 

 rock; a curious circumstance, which would seem 

 to indicate a certain sensibility to the stimulus of 

 light.t Indeed, in several of the vertebrate crea- 

 tures of the Kentucky cave, the optic nerve is 

 found to exist, though the eyes are wanting. 



Of the true relations of these remarkable beings 

 with those which inhabit the sunny world with- 

 out, there are various opinions. Some have 

 thought it possible that they are the descendants 

 of unfortunate individuals that, in unknown ages 

 past, wandered into the caves, and were unable 

 to find their way out again; the total absence 

 of light, and the consequent disuse of the visual 

 organs, inducing an obliteration of the organs 

 themselves, or at least of the function. Others 

 suppose that the animals were at the first as- 

 signed to such situations, and fitted for them at 

 their creation. Others again, among whom may 

 be reckoned the late Mr. Kirby, in his "Bridge- 



* Scbiodte's " Spec. Faun. Subterr." 



t Laibacher Zeitung, August, 1852. 



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