FRESH-WATER FISHES OF WESTERN CUBA. 
217 
San Isidro No. 1 is an underground chamber containing 2 to 3 feet of water in 
places and muddy in the bottom. It is reached by an inclined plane from the side 
and is more like a cave as ordinarily understood than the caves of the Modesta type. 
La Frias No. 1 is -a cave of the Modesta type, but larger and with the roof of 
one side fallen, so that the descent to the water is made by an inclined plane, and the 
water forms a crescent about 15 feet wide under the retreating walls of the side 
opposite to the entrance. 
La Frias No. 2 is another cave of the Modesta type, 100 feet across at the bot- 
tom and with the water 40 feet from the surface. The roof has fallen in at one side 
and the central mass of rocks rises nearly to the level of the surrounding region, so 
that the descent can be made by a winding inclined plane. Part of the roof, very 
thin and worn through in places, is still standing, supported by stalagmite-stalactite 
columns. The roots of trees wind about stalagmites or descend as straight and 
unsupported stems 15 and more feet through the cave to the water, where there is 
the usual breaking up into rootlets. 
Ashton No. 1 is a cave of the Modesta type, with a large amount of fallen mate- 
rial at one side, where one can descend to the water by means of steps. The diameter 
of the cave is possibly 100 feet. A large tree grows in the center of the fallen 
material. At the deeper part of the cave, opposite the entrance, the walls retreat 
downward. Stalactites and stalagmites are present, and there is a crescent of pools 
of water of variable width and depth. Channels tilled with water are seen to lead off 
from the bottom of the pools. This is one of the rare places where green plants are 
growing in the water. They are confined to the dextral pools as one enters. 
Ashton No. 2 differs from all the other caves. It is more open; the roof has 
fallen in, so that there are no retreating walls, as in the other caves. The fallen 
material slopes gradually to the water, which is shallow and densely covered with 
duckweed. A channel leads off from the left end of the water as one enters, and 
we went into this with our canoe, but the walls soon came down to the water. The 
place was sultrily hot and smelled disagreeably of decaying- plants, so that we were 
very glad to get out. This was one of the few caves we visited in which there were 
no fishes. This cave practically joins Ashton No. 1 , the dividing wall being but a few 
yards wide. 
Ashton No. 3, called Los Banos, differs from the others in that considerably 
more of the roof of the original chamber remains ■ standing and the amount of 
territory covered by the water is also considerably larger. The depth of the water 
differs from a few inches to “overhead.” This cave is occasionally used as a bath. 
At the time of our visit the water was covered with the usual crust of lime. 
Cajio, Jaiguan, and La Tranquilidad were visited by Mr. Riddle. 
Cajio, 6 or 8 miles southeast of La Guira do Melena, differs considerably in one 
particular from all the other caves. The water lies at a much greater distance from 
the entrance than in the others. The entrance is an ordinary sink-hole 10 to 12 feet 
deep. Instead of finding the water at the bottom of this sink, as in the Modesta 
type, it is perfectly dry. Leading from this, however, there is a dark, narrow 
passageway, 100 feet long, which leads to a very large chamber with a crescent-shaped 
body of water. This long channel is not an inclined plane, but runs parallel to the 
