$78 The Fauna of the Nickajack Cave. [November, 
a path which leads along the high bank of a considerable creek. 
The entrance has a wide floor which is cut by a gorge at one side, 
through which the stream just mentioned, issues. The roof — 
is flat and is overhung by vegetation. The following pages 
record the results of two collecting expeditions made there by 
Professor Cope. , 
Near the mouth of the cave a salamander of the genus Pletho- 
don was found, which is very peculiar. Instead of the black 
color with or without pale bluish dots, of the P. glutinosus, the 
sides and back are thickly spotted with large irregular yellowish- 
green blotches of irregular form, producing an effect something 
like the coloration of the Mexican Spelerpes leprosus. The dor- 
sal spots are much larger than the lateral, and are often confluent. 
On the head they almost exclude the ground color. In addition 
to this color peciliarity, the feet differ from those of the P. glu- 
tinosus, in the rudimental character of the inner digit, both ante- 
riorly and posteriorly. It is represented by metapodial bones 
only, having no phalanges. There are thirteen costal foids, one 
less than in P. g/utinosus, and the vomerine teeth do not extend 
beyond, or even to, the internal nares. The tail is round and 
rather slender. Length to axilla, .020; to groin, .051; to end of 
tail, m..122. This species is about the size of the P. glutinosus, 
and as it is distinct from it, we propose that it be called lethodon 
@neus Cope, 
In company with it was found the smaller P cinereus, Then 
there was a small scorpion; a Polydesmus, and some other centi- 
pedes, and a beetle like Scavztes, but larger than the common 
northern species. Snails, as in other limestone regions, are 
abundant. 
On entering the mouth of the cave abundant traces of former 
human habitation are found. These consist principally of char- 
coal and remains of shells—as Ios and Unios from the Tennessee 
river, brought there by the Indians as food. The creek was for- 
merly dammed at this point and supplied water to a mill at 
the mouth of the cave. This was grinding the grain of the 
neighborhood at the time of the first visit, but had disappeared 
by the second. Fishing was attempted from this point far into 
the depths of the cave. The results were chiefly Crustacea, 
which are described below. No blind fishes were seen or taken, 
but some fishes of the outer world were caught at a point where 
