676 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



ZOOLOGY. 



ZOOLOGIZING IN THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 



BY H. G. HUBBARD, DETROIT, MICHIGAN. 



During the past summer, while acting as entomologist to the Kentucky State 

 Geological Survey, I made, at Prof. Shaler's direction, repeated examinations of 

 the limestone caves in the vicinity of Pennington's Gap in the Cumberland Moun- 

 tains of Lee County, Virginia, without, however, finding a specimen of any true 

 cave insect, except a cricket (Raphidophora) . Being dissatisfied with this nega- 

 tive result, and anxious to test my powers in a locality known to be inhabited by 

 blind insects, I determined, on my return, to make a short visit to the Mammoth 

 Cave. Accordingly, on the 19th of August, in company with one other member 

 of the Survey party, I found myself in the stage-coach, rapidly traversing the ten 

 miles of hilly country that intervenes between the railroad at Cave City and this 

 world-renowned cavern. We reached the hotel about six o'clock in the evening, 

 and, after supper, joined a party which we found about to take " the short route," 

 a tour in the cave three and a half miles, and the same distance back, making a 

 walk of seven miles. 



We entered the cave, the mouth of which is a little hollow behind the hotel, 

 and, after proceeding about two hundred yards, found ourselves in a very large 

 chamber called the Rotunda. Here two avenues lead off, one to the right, the 

 other to left. The left-hand turn istakeu by all parties making either the "long" 

 or the "short" route, and to the Rotunda they must always return on the way 

 out. The passage to the right is an immense gallery, like a great tunnel, eighty 

 feet wide and forty feet high, and about three miles long. It is called Audubon 

 Avenue, and has but few branch galleries, none of them very long. The first side 

 passage that leaves Audubon Avenue is a mile long, and opens at its end into 

 the top of Mammoth Dome. So one may follow this passage to eternity, by step- 

 ping from the top to the bottom of Mammoth Dome, a distance of two hundred 

 and fifty feet. 



As I was anxious to begin at once my acquaintance with subterranean life, I 

 decided to remain behind, leaving the guide and his party to continue their route, 

 and arranging to meet them here in the Rotunda on their return at eleven o'clock. 

 I watched their fading lights and listened to the rapidly diminishing sound of their 

 footsteps as they receded down the long passage, then turned into Audubon Ave- 

 nue, and, following previous instructions, found and traversed to its end the side 

 passage leading to the jump-off into the dome. The gallery was, however, very 

 dry, and, after careful search, finding no insects, I lost no time in returning to the 

 Rotunda. This is also a dry chamber, but in a few places the walls are slightly 



