Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-12-17
DIE WHEN EXPOSED TO LIGHT.
strange Fish and Insects That Live in
Perpetual Darkness.

Inc cavern beetle was first discovered
some seventy years ago in an Austrian
cave, the grotto of Adelsberg. One speci-
men only was caught, and, though its
dlScoverer offered price of IS for an
other, 1t was fourteen years before a sec
ond was found.
The cavern beetle has a little rouad
body, very long legs and absolutely no
eyes at all. Brought out from its gloomy
haunts into the light of the sun, it dies
almost Immediately Yet, in its pitch
dark home, far beneath the surface of
the earth, it moves with as great rapid
ny ana certainty as any of its eyed rela-
tives on the upper soil
10 make up for its lack of sight it is
provided with antennae of extraordinary
length and delicacy. By means of these
1t feels its way over the rough surface of
the stone and hunts its prey-other
smaller bind insectS-with great rapidity
and absolute certainty.
The cavern beetle has its enemies.
ne blothrus Ia species of Scorpion and
me great eyeless spider hunt it remorse-
lessly. Prince Khevenhuller. who thor
oughly explored these caves some years
ago, describes it as a most extraordinary
sight to watch by the light of a candle a
scorpion, absolutely cYelesS. hunting a
beetle, equally blind, along the cavern
wall. Although the beetle was several
feet in front of the scorpion. and divided
from 1t by a assure in the rock. yet the
scorpion tracked it with absolute and al
most appalling certainty.
The spider found in these caves is of a
lovely ivory white, and is able, like other
insects which inhabit the same subtcr-
ranean depths, TO run very rapidly and
ma IFS way with as positive certainty as
II 1t had eyes and light to use them. Like
several of, the others, it. toe perishes If
taken out of the cave. Sunlight seems
to wither and shrivel up these insects,
Iust as though they had been placed In
front of hot fire.
eft, III spite of this fact. it is known
that the blind cave creatures are de-
scended from others which originally
lived in the light of day.
An ordinary proof Of this is that.
though no faintest ray marks the differ
ence between day and darkness in the
depths they live in. yet it has beesa as,
certalned beyond shadow of doubt that
those whose ancestors were nocturnal in
their habits still prefer to move ohont
during those hours when the surface of
the earth is in darkness.
Numbers of different kinds of fish are
known to live in the gloomy rivers and
lakes which exist in all large caves.
Al San Marcos, Tex, borings were re-
Gently made to provide a water supply
for some new fresh hatcheries. At a
u'piu vi Soile 100 Ieet Il great stream oil
water was struck, which shot IN nj the
rate of 1900 gallons minute. With il
came thousands of tiny. shrimp-Hke crea-
tules, and also Il large number of curious
little, pale-col0red reptiles, provided with
long tails and each having four legs
These tiny monsters were absolutely eve.
less The only trace that they ever nos.
sessed such organs are two little black
spots above the noStris.
y similar creature known as the Ohm
inhabts the rivers in the Austrian caves
already mentioned. In the depths of the
| tlamna cave, nearly mile and half
! from the entrance. the ohm is most alum
| dant The waters are fairly alive with
them, and when, some years ago. the
Archduke Ferdinand paid visit 10 This
cave, net was let down and number
Of the little reptiles caught for his bene-
! fit-Tit- Bits.