92 FAUNA OP MAYFIELD'S CAVE. 



Concerning the food of cave animals in general comparatively litt 

 has been published, although the food of Amblyopsis has been well unde 

 stood for some time. Packard (1876, 285) mentions the abundance ( 

 Psevdotremia cavernarum about bits of candle-drip in caves and in tl 

 same paper and later in his monograph (1888, 24, 25) mentions tl 

 probable food of certain cave animals. Cope (1871, 13) remarks upc 

 the scantiness of food of cave animals and offers a suggestion as to tl 

 source of the supply through vegetable matter swept into caves t 

 water. Chilton (1894, 264) confesses inability to add to the knowledj 

 of the food of subterranean crustaceans. Carpenter (1895, 33) not( 

 that Ldpura gets its food by engulfing quantities of the fine earth, f roi 

 which it obtains vegetable mold, and mentions the fact that ' 'collect©] 

 in the Carniolan caves secure insects by leaving pieces of wood i 

 traps." The food problem is a difficult one, and I have gotten far les 

 light on the subject than I had hoped. 



Throughout the paper mention has been made of the food and f eedin 

 habits of the different species so far as observed. It may be well 1 

 recapitulate somewhat here. Sciara, Aphiochseta, Ldmosina, and th 

 staphylinidous beetles are found in greater abundance at decaying anim; 

 matter; Ceuthophilus, the cave myriapod, and the cave thysanuran ar 

 about equally abundant at decaying organic matter, whether animal c 

 vegetable. As stated before, any bit of organic matter of whateve 

 sort serves to attract cave Arthropods in considerable numbers. Ligh 

 disturbs these creatures, so that it is well-nigh impossible directly t 

 observe their feeding in the cave, but all have been so nearly caught i 

 the act of feeding that the cases are practically proven. The spiders ar 

 probably predaceous in the main, but Phanetta subterranea and Erigov 

 infernalis may feed upon decaying organic matter also. The forme 

 was observed to catch a thysanuran, and at another time one was f oun 

 which seemed to be feeding upon cheese. The crustaceans are preda 

 ceous as well as being scavengers. The Anopthalmus is predaceous. 



In fig. 13 an attempt is made to represent in a graphic way th 

 dependence of cave animals upon organic matter carried into the cav 

 and to show the food relation of cave species to one another. 



The fact that all of these animals are absolutely dependent directl; 

 or indirectly upon decaying organic matter brought into the cave fror 

 outside by the merest chance and accident must not be lost sight of 

 It will readily be seen, too, that there is a close relationship as regard 

 food between the different cave forms, an interdependence so complet 

 that were certain groups removed others must perish because of thei 

 dependence upon them. 



The habits of cave species so far as learned are exactly similar t 

 the habits of their near relatives outside of caves. This statemen 



