408 ON THE WYANDOTTE CAVE AND ITS FAUNA. 
low, and whose wife knows how, in lodgings and table, to satisfy 
reasonably fastidious persons. > 
An examination into the life of the cave shows it to have much 
resemblance to that of the Mammoth. The following is a list of 
sixteen species of animals which I obtained, and by its side is 
placed a corresponding list of the species obtained by Mr. Cooke ~ 
and others at the Mammoth Cave. These number seventeen 
species. As the Mammoth has been more frequently explored, 
while two days only were devoted to the Wyandotte, the large 
number of species obtained in the latter, suggests that it is the 
richer in life. This I suspect will prove to be the case, as itis 
situated in a fertile region. Some of the animals were also pro- 
eured from caves immediately adjoining, which are no doubt con- 
nected with the principal one. 
Of the out-door fauna which find shelter in the cave, bats are of | 
course most numerous. They are probably followed into their — 
retreat by the eagle and other large owls. The floors of some of 
the chambers were covered to a considerable depth by the castings 
of these birds, which consisted of bats’ fur and bones. It would 
be worth while to determine whether any of the owls winter there. ' 
I believe that wild animals betake themselves to caves todi ‘ 
and that this habit accounts in large part for the great collections 
of skeletons found in the cave deposits of the world. After . 
experience in wood eraft, I may say that I never found the hone 
of a wild animal which had not died by the hand of man, lying 
exposed in the forest. I once thought I had found the place wt 
a turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) had closed its career, om 
edge of a wood, arid it seemed that no accident could have r 
it, the bones were so entire as I gathered them up one by onè. a 
last I raised the slender radius; it was broken, and the e : 
jared bone. I tilted each half of the shaft, and from one 1 ae is 
single shot! The hand of man had been there. One occasio i: n 
ly finds a mole (Scalops or Condylura) overcome by ee 
some naked spot, on his midday exploration, but x me I d 
animals generally, we must go to the caves. In Virgie” ip- 
remains of very many species in a recent. state ;- in ame 
ing the Wyandotte I found the skeleton of the gray fox" 
Virginianus. In a cavern in Lancaster Co., Pennsy 
agricultural region, I noticed bones of five or six Ci , cattle, 
many rabbits, and a few other wild species, with dog, horses 
sheep, etc., some of which had fallen in. 
ma 
vanja; iwan 
