FRESH- WATER FISHES OF WESTERN CUBA. 
219 
At a vertical depth, judged by the depth of a near-by well to be about 75 feet, 
water was encountered in the form of the usual crescent. There was no indication 
that we had reached the bottom of the cave and it is not known how deep the water 
is, for roof and floor continue to slope down with the same incline and stalagmites 
rise from a depth of at least 3 feet beneath the level of the water at the time of our 
visit, when it was about 3 feet below its maximum height. The water was covered 
with a crust of lime and no fishes were seen. 
An account of the Pedregales caves will soon be issued by Mr. Pascual Ferreiro, 
of the Cuban railway postal service, a member of the international copyright com- 
mission. 
About half a mile beyond Pedregales is the M cave, so called from the M-shaped 
path that leads from the surface to the water. The descent in this cave is much 
steeper than in Pedregales and the stalagmitic decorations much less elaborate. A 
dim light penetrates to the water. Here, as in Pedregales, the cave floor continues 
to descend for an unknown distance below the level of the water. Fishes were more 
abundant here than in any other cave visited. They were all of one species. 
We visited another cave in Matanzas Province, about 20 miles north of the 
Pedregales, at the edge of the city of Matanzas. It was essentially like the M cave, 
but contained no fishes. 
THE STREAMS VISITED. 
Between the western end of the island and Union, south of Matanzas, a number 
of streams run by independent courses from the watershed to the sea. Those west 
of San Cristobal are perennial. Those immediately .east of San Cristobal consisted at 
the time of our visit of a series of independent pools. East of Artemisa the streams 
run above ground only part of their course, then enter caves and continue their 
course to the sea underground, or reappear as “ojos de agua” a short distance from 
the ocean. In the western part of this region, from Canas to at least Guira de 
Melena, there are no dry beds or other surface indications of drainage. Farther to 
the west dry beds of streams, narrow and crooked, were seen, but with one exception 
there is no perennial stream between San Cristobal and Union except along the coast. 
Tl$i one exception is the stream formed by the large springs near G nines. East of 
Union we did not go. 
The Rio Sabanalamar at San Cristobal is about 20 feet wide and varied from 1 foot 
to 2 inches in depth in cross-section. The water is in places very swift and shallow; 
in others “over head” and in pools. The banks of the river are clay; the bottom is 
grass-grown except in the deep pools and over riffles. We seined up and down from 
the railroad bridge and also in an old channel of the river containing a muddy pool 
entirely cut off from the river. The water of the river was clear and at 10 a. m. had 
a temperature of 23° C. 
The Rio Palacios at Los Palacios varied from 5 to 40 feet in width. The water 
was clear, the bottom alternately gravel, mud, and weed-grown. Temperature of 
the water 23° C. We seined up and down the ford at the end of the main street. 
Between Los Palacios and Paso Real the country is in part swampy, with lily ponds. 
The Rio San Diego at Paso Real de San Diego is 15 to 40 feet wide with steep 
banks about 20 feet high. The water was clear, in pools and riffles, and 23° C. We 
