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336 On the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky. .’ 
there should be no sources of sulphuretted hydrogen and’ of car- 
bonic acid. “Si 
The phenomena of life within the cave are comparatively few 
but interesting. There are several insects, the largest of which 
is a sort of cricket with enormously long antenne. Of this 
insect, numerous specimens will be found among the specimens 
sent to Prof. Agassiz. ‘T'here are several species of Coleoptera, 
mostly burrowing in the nitre earth. There are some small 
water-insects also which I suppose are Crustacean. Unfortunate- 
were lost with my valise from the stage coach, and I fear will 
not be recovered. Of the fish, there are two species, one of 
which has been described by Dr. Wyman in the American Journal 
of Science, and which is entirely eyeless ;+ some ten or twelve spe- 
cimens of the species were obtained. The second species of fish 
is not colorless like the first, and it has external eyes, which 
however are found to be quite blind.{ The craw-fish or small 
crustacea inhabiting the rivers with the fish are also eyeless aud 
uncolored, but the larger-eyed and colored craw-fish which are 
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fish which were caught by us in the cave. The only mamma 
except the bats, observed in the cave, is a rat which is very abun- 
dant, judging from the tracks which they make, but so shy and 
secluded in their habits that they are seldom seen. We caught 
two of them, and fortunately male and female. " 
The chief points of ditference from the common rat in external 
characters, are iu the color, which is bluish, the feet and belly 
and throat white, the coat which is of soft fur and the tail also 
thiuly furred, while the common or Norway rat is gray or brow), 
and covered with rough hair. The cave rat is possessed.of Jark 
black eyes, of the size of a rabbit’s eye and entirely without 11S; 
the feelers also are uncommonly long. We have satisfied our- 
selves that he is entirely blind when first canght, although his 
who first entered this place in 1802. 
* Near “Mary’s Bower” there is a spring of bitter water evidently containing sul 
of cep too which salt is also found abundantly in some parts of the cave. x 
F * E B *. 
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x ™ . 3 
cave as mentioned by Prof. Agency 20 : 
< : . 5 es 
