LITUOBIUS 



95 



no caves have degenerating eyes. One may say that Ambly- 

 opsis came to inhabit caves because it was going blind rather 

 than that it became blind because it got into a cave. 



Of the cave beetles one belongs to the genus Quedius. It 

 is found not so far within the cave but that a dim light reaches 

 it. The adults are not wholly blind. It feeds on excrement 

 or decaying remains of cave animals. Now Quedius is a 

 large genus of the faniily of Staphylinidse (page 66), most of the 

 members of which are scavengers. As Quechus 

 above ground is usually to be found under or 

 embedded in decaying matter where it is in the 

 dark, it involves no change of habits to be 

 a scavenger of the caves. Another beetle — 

 Anophthalmus ^ — has gone further ; it is found 

 at the darkest part of the cave and is wholly 

 blind. It belongs to the family of Carabidae 

 (page 64) which are predaceous beetles that 

 hunt chiefly at night. Anophthalmus may hunt 

 all day and all night, for it lives in eternal dark- 

 ness, and can get a supply, although all too 

 scanty, of living prey such as spiders, mites, and springtails. 



The flies are among the most abundant of the inhabitants 

 of caves. The commonest species are short-horns, which 

 congregate in moist places on the walls and are exceedinglj' 

 sluggish in their movements. Their larvse live in the excre- 

 ment of the larger animals or in carcasses. Outside of caves 

 these flies are found under wood or stones. 



The cave crickets belong to the genus Ceuthophilus (page 

 20). Their sight is defective, but they are sensitive to touch. 

 Since the other members of the genus that live above ground 



F I G. 9 6.— 

 Anophthalniu.s, 

 from Blateh- 

 ley : " Glean- 

 in s s from 

 Nature." 



1 Fig. 96. 



