August 24, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



301 



wood's figure of C. cylindraoea, the body is 

 longer, the antennae much longer, reaching 

 to the middle of the first thoracic segment, 

 those of the second pair nearly to the middle 

 of the seventh thoracic segment. Only the 

 first three pairs of legs are short, with a 

 very thick hand ; the four hinder pairs of 

 legs are long, slender. The two last divi- 

 sions of the pleopods are unequal, the outer 

 division very narrow, but a little more than 

 half as long as the broad inner division or 

 endopodite. Length of body 25 mm.; 

 breadth 5 mm. 



This form is like most if not all other 

 blind or eyeless arthropods in having a 

 longer body, antennse, and legs in compen- 

 sation for the loss of eyes. 



A Contribution to the Fauna of the Caves 



of Texas : By C. H. Eigenmann, Indiana 



University. 



In the early part of September, 1899, I 

 visited San Marcos, Texas, to secure if pos- 

 sible some living specimens of the cave 

 Salamander occasionally thrown out of the 

 Artesian well of the United States Fish 

 Commission. This well taps an under- 

 ground stream about 190 feet from the sur- 

 face. No specimens of the Salamander 

 TypMomolge came to the surface during 

 my stay, but I received two living speci- 

 mens from Superintendent J. L. Leary. 



Besides the Salamander three species of 

 Crustaceans had been secured from this 

 well. These were described preliminarily 

 by Mr. Benedict, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 

 XVIII. One of these, Palcemonetes antro- 

 rum, is very abundant and many are thrown 

 out from the well each day. The eyes of 

 this species are degenerate far beyond those 

 of the blind Camharus pelucidus of the 

 Mississippi valley caves. They will be de- 

 scribed elsewhere. The second one Ciral- 

 onides texensis is not nearly so abundant as 

 the first. During my stay of three days I 

 secured several specimens. It can readily 



be seen in the receiving basin of the well 

 when thrown out. 



The third Crangonyx Jiagellatus is much 

 rarer and no specimen was secured during 

 my stay. Instead however a single speci- 

 men of a related species ( Crangonyx boiv- 

 ersii) was secured. 



These are all the species that can readily 

 be seen with the naked eye, when swim- 

 ming about the receiving basin. A screen 

 of bolting cloth ('No. 2) placed over the 

 outlet for a short time secured a number of 

 additional species, viz, the front half of a 

 new species of Casidotea, two new species 

 of Copepoda, a Cypridopsis and a Crusta- 

 cean that defied identification and was later 

 lost, as well as a flat worm. The evidence 

 from the screening is that there is yet a 

 rich subterranean fauna to be obtained 

 from this well. 



There is near the well a spring arising 

 evidently from the same source by the side 

 of which the well is insignificant in its 

 yield of water. No blind creatures have 

 been recorded from this spring, and the 

 difficulty in straining its output is much 

 greater than that of straining the well. 

 Through the liberal policy of the Honorable 

 G. M. Bowers and Dr. Hugh M. Smith, of 

 the United States Fish Commission, a 

 plankton net is now in use at the San Mar- 

 cos well, and we may expect other additions 

 to the fauna of the well and the under- 

 ground stream it taps. 



Near San Marcos are two small caves. 

 Ezell's cave was formerly open to the pub- 

 lic and provided with steps and other facil- 

 ities for entrance. The opening leads into 

 a pit about forty feet deep, with one side, 

 that nearest the entrance, quite perpendic- 

 ular, but with some projecting rocks. At 

 the bottom of this pit and at the side 

 furthest from the entrance a smaller open- 

 ing led downward to the water, which was 

 said to be about one hundred feet from the 

 entrance. The Texas variety of small boy 



