Complete Issue
Preface
The widening public interest in speleology has brought to the Society increased responsibility for disseminating ,knowledge in this field. Facts concerning speleology are sought by a variety of consumers -hobbyists, naturalists, and scientists. . In order to serve beLter the needs of such different groups, the Society last year increased the n um ber of its officers. Ther.e are now four vice-presidents, responsible respectively for administration, sci ence, public relations, and publications. The good results of their specialized labors are already becoming evident. A proposal to enlarge the publication program, to mention one, has been approved by the Board of Governors. In reviewing the de velopment of the present-day NEWS and BULLETIN ) the Board gave its support to pleas that every effort be made to further improve the NEWS by budgeting a larger amount for it. This will permit the use of more pictures and the printing of more extra-page issues. Also more timely news stories will be sought from the gTOLtOeS and individual members. The NEWS will continue to be the Society's best medium of timely in formation. Since many of' its items are of lasting in'terest, an index is being prepared. The BULLETIN) from now on to be known as THE AMERICAN CAVER) will continue to bring to the members and to an expanding group of non-member readers popularly written articles on a large variety of speleological subjects. These will include articles on explor ation of caves at home and abroad, interpretation of the findings of scientists as they apply to caves, and the descriptions of caves and cave regions of general interest. The finest available photographs will be a feature of each issue. '-Vith this number a new regular feature is being added: a sec tion for General Notes. Under this category are included items too short to justify their use as general articles, but nevertheless of sufficient importance to warrant the wider attention that publication here will bring. The notes may be of a more technical nature, but strictly tech nical papers, long or short, will not be published here. Instead, reports on substantial research in the field of speleology will be published in a new series of OCCASIONAL PAPERS. Published at irregular intervals, they will be distributed only to members who re quest them. To non-members they ,vill be priced according to the cost of publication of the individual papers. Scientists, graduate students, and amateur speleologists, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to submit material for the OCCASIONAL PAPERS. A more detailed description of the scope of the new publication will be mailed upon request. Serious concern has been expressed over the decline in the num ber of published reports in the field of American speleology. The dearth of papers has been attributed to the lengthened work week of
(co li/inlier! O T! illside bach cover) I'-:)
z ;.. --l o Z ;.. r' (Jl ~ r' t"'1o r' ?l'"' n ;.. r' (Jl Ph o to I'." ThOll/as 1' . Milia, Jr, o n This photograph, entitled " First G limpse of a New World ," received the First Award in the Fifth Internatio na l Photographic Sa lon ( 1952) of the Nationa l Speleolog ical Society. It was taken by a photographe r for the Lou isvill e C ou ri e r-Journ a l in the so-c al led "New ~ Discovery" of Mammoth C ave, Kentucky, and ably po rtrays the effect he soug ht which , in his own wo rd s, was to depict " 0 feeli ng of -< mystic ism, of wo nder, of enchantment, of a we." ASurvey of Bat Banding in North America, ]932-1951
By CHARLES E. MOHR
Direc tor, A ucilllJOn Center, Greenwich . CUllllaticllt A /I /)IIO/os by lite author
ProlJauly few ca ve en thll siast~ reahze the ex telll to wlt ich uat bandi1lg Itas
ueen can ied on b)1 scien tisls in th e last twenty y (: (1 "1"5. During tlt at lime n early 70,000 bats have ueen banded (nearly Ih ree quarters of tlt em from Cfmes) for tlt e Inn/Jose of studying th eir life III's tury and habits. Tlte ex ten t uf tltis banding activity; its 1I1 et/lOds, jJrocedl l1" es, objectives and 1'esli lt s is tuld It ere fur tlt e first time by one of "t Il e nation's top ranking cltirojJ terists.
T he marking of bats bega n in 1916 when using bird bands in a summer roost on Cape ornithologist Arthur A. Allen (192 1) atlached Coel , and in 193-1 undertook the banding of ba ts bird bands to the legs of fiv c bats. In Califor hiberna ting in ca ,"Cs in Ne,,' Engla nd a nd 1\"cw nia in 1922, A. B. H owell bandcd 'J bats, and in York. W ith the aid o[ ,,·e ll ·organized ba nding 1923, Luther Little banded 37 (H owell a nd teams, hl: was e"cntuall y to ba nd a bout 8,500 LillIe, 1924). Harold ' ,Vood in Pcnnsy h 'ania b at~ in GI\'l:S a nd mincs, and about 5,000 in used two bird bands on bats in 1929 and in the summcr colonies in buildings. sallie yea r H . B. Sherman (1937) banded 7G Not unli! 19% did banding actil'itics spread juvenile bats in Florida. 010 ne of these pcrsons to other states. In Septembcr J936, ?\I ary Guth continucd banding howe' ·er. ri e (1937) ba ndcd 7:) ! bats in :\fan 'el a nd R ochcport Ca\'es , Misso uri, a nd thc late ' '\T. A. In 1932, Donald Griffin (193-1) in Ne'" Eng \Velter, in A.pril J937, banded 2,000 in Bat la nd, and Earl L. Poole (1932) and 1 (]\Johr, Ca"e, in eastern Kentucky. In 1938, H . 1. 1933) in Pcnnsy lva nia, began banding actiyities Shreve bega n banding a series of 242 bats in which proved to be the first sustained endca"ors ' Vest Virginia caves. in this field in .-\merica. T hese studics were car In 1939, G. N. R ysgaard (19..J2) in M inne ried out alniost simultancously. In both areas sota , initia tcd a study of ..JG..J caye ba ts, and in there had bccn cxperimentation " 'ith marking Ne,,' J crsey and Pennsy h 'a nia, H arold T rapido me thods, including thc use of histological stains banded the first of some 5,300 bats, using m any and tattooing. In both areas aluminum bird o[ thcm in a sc ri es of homing experiments. :\.Iso ba nds were finall y se lected as thc best marking in 1939, H arold B. Hilchcock la unched an ex m edium. tensi" e program " 'hi ch , by 195 1, resulted in the On the e"ening o[ May 21, 1932, I ca plllred ba nding o[ 13, 125 bats. In Tcxas, N icholson a nd tagged a serics o[ 14 ba ts of three species banded 200 free-ta il cd ba ts but ne,'er cO l1linued as thcy fl ew into Schorcr Ca ,'e, near Ku tztOW ll , wit h additional opera ti ons. Fiyc banders Pennsylvania. T his a ppears to be thc first timc (Caglc, Cockrum, Elder, Engler, and Greeley) that cave bats were marked so that indi"iduals rccei" ecl banding permits in 19-W, and fo ur ad could b e rccognized ! lOne of the P ennsylvania ditional (Llewell yn, Riney, Southam, and projects was the banding of 763 bats of four Storer) in j 9-J I. spccies in sevcn abandoncd, incomplete tunnels During the war ba nding acltnues ,,"ere of the South P cnn Railroad as enginecrs bcgan greatly curtail ed . No new permi ts wcrc granted to tra nsform th'cm into Pennsy h 'ania T urnpike until 194-8. From that time until the present, T unnels (Mohr 1942). 30 ba nders h ayc been supplied with bands by On Septcmber 7, J932, Griflln (1934) bcga n the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
1 C. A. R . Campbell (192-1) wrote o[ capturing 2004 free· T h e ba t banding records were in charge of tailed bats ill a Texas cave daubing them with white Dr. H. H. T. J ackson until la te in 19-17, a nd wash and releasi ng them 30 miles awa y. He reported Ih a t they new directly to the cave in about one hour. since then have been under the supervision of
B ULLETIN N Ul'vIBE R 14, S EPT EM BER) 1952 3 Stanley P. Young until September of 1951. In 1939 Trapido adopted wing banding During this rflon th the Section referred to as (Trapido and Crowe, 1946), introduced in Ger Biological Surveys was combined with the Sec many in 1932 by the pioneer European bat tion of Distribution and Migration of Birds, bander, Eisentraut (1934). This method quickly and is now known as the Section of Distribution supplanted leg banding since it has the advant of Birds and Mammals, under the supervision age of making the bands more visible as the of Dr. J01111 W. Aldrich. bats hang in clusters. Like leg bands, however, In October 1951 , in an effort to ascertain the they will cause irritation if dosed unevenly or current status of bat banding activities, I sent too tightly. As pointed out by Trapido and a questionnaire to all persons to whom the Crowe, " the bands should be closed around the U. S. Fish and \Vildlife Service had sent an forearm so as to encompass the bones, but leav allotment of bands. ing a sufficient aperture to permit the band to This paper is based on
4 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY of disturbance to a 1ll1l11mUIll. Excess ive and recommended (Griffin , 1940a). No more bats prolonged activity on the part of the bat re should be put in a cage than ca n find places to duces its chances of survi\'ing the hibernation hang ill it.
TAIII.E I
.-\ LI ST OF BAT BAI':DERS II': '1'11 1' U.'dTI·: n S'IATES A.,n C.~:-;A n .\ . 1932· 19:j l
Bander Year Active Bats lial/ded /lcgf11l Now JJanded il/ Caves
Baker, R o" S. 1944 Deceased II Banfield , :\. \\T . F. 1946 i'\o ·12 -12 Barbo ur, R oger \\T . 1937 R ead y Barkalow, F. S. 1950 Yes 7 Ba rnes, W. E. 1948 No Barr, T. C. 195 1 R ead y Beer , J a lll es R . 1947 Yes 1,000 1,000 Broadbooks, Haro ld E. 195 1 Yes II ~ 11 9 Cagle, Fred R. 19·10 :\'0 1.922 C hilds, H e nry E. J r. 195 1 R ead y Cockrum , E. Le ndell 19·10 Yes 2.000 2,0110 Constantine, De nn y G . 1946 Yes ·I-\(i Cope, J a lll es B. 19,; 1 R ead y C rawley, Eugene 19-10 No Da \'is, \,vayne 1950 Yes 1,14 1 1,000 Elder, \Vi Ilia m H. 19'10 Yes S(i 86 E ng le r, C. H. 19-10 No 240 Gardne r, R o he rt J . 1950 Yes I.(JOO I,UOO G lass, Bryan 1'. 1949 R ead y Goehring, H a rry H . 195 1 Yes 30 1 Greeley, Frede ri ck (and Beer) 1940 Ye.s G,-IU O :-"SUO G rie rson , Stanley 19-IS Yes 87 'i0 G riffin , Do na ld R . 1932 :\'0 13.000 S.'iOO Guthrie, i\f a r y II. 193G No 73 1 73 1 Hitch cock , H arold B. 1939 Yes 13.12'i 9 827 Jackson , William B. 19·19 No 1(j3 15S Koford, l\I a r y R . 19·17 No 1.000 2.000 F LJe\\'ell yn , Leonard ~1. 19 11 No -I(is -1(iS i\lason, C h a rles 19 16 :\' 0 -100 -100 i\ [ille r, J e rome S. 19-IS Yes 350 ;\/0 111', Charles E. 1932 Yes 3,880 ~.Ii - 15 Mumfo rd , Rlissell E. 195 1 Ready Negll s, Norma n C. 19 17 Yes' 2.700 2.700 E N icho lson , A. J. 1939 No 200 200 Olso n , And rew C. 1950 Yes 7-1 Orr, R oben T. 19-17 Yes :;9 Pearson , O li"e r 19·IS Yes 1,.100 .i OO [ R ayno r , G ilbert Sidney 19·17 Yes 6 1 Riney, Thane A. 19·11 No R ogers, Nancy 19·IS Yes 1,0 1G 1,0 16 R ysgaard, George N . 1939 No -I(i ·1 4(i-1 Shreve, H . J. 1935 ;\0 2 · 1~ 2-12 Sister ;\1. Talitha 1950 Yl'S 236 Sloane , H o \\'ard N . 19:; 1 Yes 2·1 2-1 Smith, E li za bet h W. 1917 Yl'S 1.5 tH) Southalll, Herbe rt H. 194 1 i'\o '1. 7 Storer, Rohen W. 19·11 No c,O T rapielo , Harolel 1939 :\0 r>. :100 5,,1:;0 E U lme r, Fred e rick ..\. 1950 Yes 1'>2 20 W elter , \\'. :\ . 19,17 Dl'ceascd :2 .000 2.000 \Vest, Fento n T. 195 1 Rcad,' Wood, Sherwin F. 1919 Yes 5 13 Young, H e wa rd F. 19'i 1 Yes :2~(j 28G
[ -Estimated Total bats ballded ...... (i7 ,279 :;0,021 period. Energy reser\'es and mo isture content of ]11 banding a large series it is ach'an tageous the ba t seem to be dangerously lowered. to h:l \'e the bands already spread and stored on Both to reduce activity and heat and to metal rods. Hitch cock (19-1- 1) has described a simplify handling, screened coll ecti on cages are usel'ul device [or opening small ba nds a ncl a
BULLETI N NUMBER 14, SEPTEMBER) 1952 5 method for tra nsferring them to rods. The stor 3. If possible to trace the movements of ilge rods inay be stuck into the ground _and the individuals by recoveries of marked bands removed [rom the free end. It is desirable bats."
LO use a continuous series [or one sex, a differ Many of the banders today likewise are 111- ent seri(:s for th e other. This greatly simplifies teres ted in these objectives but a number of record keeping. additional objectives are reported: 4. To determine the average and maX1- mum length of life. S. To determine the extent of the dispro portionate sex ratios quite generally found among hibermiting bats; G. To chart the growth of young bats; 7. To acid to the meager k now ledge of the life histories of various species; 8. To inves tigate the physiology of hiber- nation; 9. To trace the life history of blood para sites in banded individuals; 10 . H possible, to follow the clay to day shifts of bats that occupy no regular roost.
Fig. I. LEG BAN DI NG was fi rst marking system used in this country. The band was closed around the tibia. with o r with out cutting a slit in the interfemo ral membrane. Th e bands usually could not be seen as lo ng as the bat hung up.
OBJECTIVES OF BA NDING Griffin ( 19:l6) cited Lhre(: principal ob jecti,'(:s in undertaking bat bancling: " I. To c1 eterm ine whether the sallle 111- c1i,-iclu :lIs return annually to the sum mer roosts from which th ey were absent in winter, and likewise to determine whether the same bats return in suc ces i\" e winters to th e caves where th ey hibernate; 2. To ascertain whether bats released at a distance from their summer roost will return to it; that is, whether they have Fig. 2. EAR TAGS were used on nea rly 3000 bats in Penn sy lvania. Expense of the tags, privately purchased, limited a homing instinct. t heir use despite the ir in c reased visibility.
NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY RESULT S OF BANDING R ogers has had 24 % returns on 504 Cory- Considerable information is no\ \' at hand 11 0rhinlls 1'. rafi.n es q1 ~ ii banded in sever al ' Ves t Virginia ca vcs. under man y of the various categori es just li sted . T he largest series that has been under ob It is possible to answer at least partiall y, some se rva ti on continuously is a populati on of 899 o f the foll owing ques tions: Myotis I. 11Icifllgus at Durham i\line in easrern I. 'Do tlt e sante individuals rcturn anl1ually Pennsy lva nia (i\ fohr 1942). During the year to the caves in whirh th ry were banded? foll owing banding', records compil ed on three R ecaptures of banded bats ha\'e concl usin:ly vis its to tall ed 25 % returns. In subsequent years proved tha t they do comc back to the. sa me additional returns increased the perce ntage to hi be rnat ~ n g quarters yea r alter year. Likc\\'ise 44% . Five of the bats were retaken in fi ve con bats may occupy the sa mc summer roosts for ;1 secutive winters, one in each of six following period of yea rs. winters, and one in seve n of eight different win In describing the recapture of bats it seems ters, further demonstrating the regularity of the ad va ntageous to adopt terminology consislclll return of ba ts to their seasonal quarters. with that now well es tablished in bird banding, In ca ves and ill ines in De\'onshire, England, as follows: a return of 55.7% was reported on a series of 69 7 banded RhinolojJ hus ferru m-eq uinum and R eturn : T he taking of a banded bat a t or a 3W '/~ return has been maintained for R. hijJ cl ose to the place of banding a fl er the conclu jJOs ideTos (H ooper, H ooper and Shaw, 1951). sion of the season (s ummer or hibernating) dur ing which it was banded. T his corresponds to 2. Do bats have a hOlll ing in stinct? the "I ater-seaso n loca l return" o[ Griffin (1945). .-\t least 17 of the bat banders have perform· ed homing experiments of some kind. Griffin R ejJc at: R eca pture at or cl ose LO the place (1940a, 1945) transported a total of +7 9 little of banding during the sa me season ("same brown bats for dista ll ces up to I::;G miles, and season local return" of Griffin). had nine returns from the longest distance. R ecovery: R eca pture far enough away fr om Beer and Greeley have retaken two lVI . l. the place o r ba ndi ng so tha t the ·mo\·emen t Ill cifugus after homing fli ghts of 250 miles. One migh t be considered significa nt ("foreign IT of these bats crossed Lake M ichiga n. Hitchcock turn" of Griffin, with IlJ O\'e ments of 10 miles or and R eynolds (1942) report finding 3 out of 76 more) . M. I. lucifll gus released 180 miles fr om their Due to the cx tensive nature of mos t GI\'es summer roos t. and mines it is obviously diffi cult to recaplllre In P e nn sy l va ni~'l, T rapido LOo k about 1525 a large proportion of banded ba ts. The folI o\\, bats frolll Aitkin Cave at the beginning of the ing records consti tu te the highes t percentage of hibernati on period in 1940 and 194 1 and re returns in series of significa nt size : leased them a t va rious points up to 125 miles In a ca ve at Fourth Chute, Ontario, Hitch frolll the cave. The results of this ex periment cock (1949) recorded returns of 73.5 % of a unfortunately are not avail able, but the fe w series of 27 E jJl csieus f. [uscus, but onl y 52% records on fil e with the Survey indica te that of it total of 316 banded in several different Illany returned immediately to the cave 111 caves. Hitchcock noted 4 1.7 % returns from a October and November. single year's banding of 15 Myotis su bulatus Griffin (1940a) found, and meager data on leibii, at Fourth Chute, but onl y 25.4% of the the T rapido experiment also indica te, a higher remarkably large series of 252 bats of this jJeTCe l1 tage of 1'e turl1 S frolll ba ts canied a.way species which' he banded between 1942. and fro 111. the . roos t (for distances under 50 miles) 1947. thal1 [roll1 banded bats 1'eleased at th e cave. Griffin (19-1Oa) reported returns of 56.8% Hitchcock and R ey nolds (1942) had the same a nd 36. 7% of both Myotis t. lu cifugll s and M . experience with bats released as much as 68 and sodalis "at two sma ll caves in Vermont where it 76 miles from their summer roos ts. As alread y is possible to ca tch all th ~ bats". reported, 44% of the 899 little brown bats band-
BULLETIN NUMBER 14, S E PTE MBE R) 1952 7 ed at Durham Mine were retaken there in sub to another about 100 were recovered in later . sequent years. Of these returns, 70 were later re winters at the same cave where they had been leased at a point 55 miles away. Over a period banded." In England, many winter flights of 1 of several years 41 % of these bats have been to 17 miles have been reported [or the greater taken as returns. Since all of these bats were horseshoe bat, RhinolojJhus fernun-equ·inu.m nearly three years old, at the least, when used (Hooper, Hooper and Shaw, 1951). In West in the homing test, 41 % must be considered a Virginia, Rogers notes some shifting of C01)lnOr- very high return. 1//·111./s 1". Hlfin esqllii from one cave to another Griffin has suggested that the bats released during the hibernating period. at the cave m ay scatter as a res ult of the dislLlrb· It has been observed quite generally (Folk, ance. On the other hand, "for some reason those 1940; Swanson and Evans, 1936; Guthrie, 1933; carried to a distance seem to be less likely to as Hahn, 1908) that considerable population sociate the discomfort of being banded with the changes occur within a cave during the hiber home roost". nation period. In Belgium, Verschuren (1949) Several attempts .have been made to deter marked the position of hibernating bats on the mine the sjJeed of the homeward flight . The cave wall wlthollt disturbing them and noticed only data obtained from banding 1 are a 40-mile that a fter a few days these bats had disappeared return flight o[ a little brown bat in three days and new individuals had arrived. These spon in Pennsylvania (rvIohr, 1942), and a 76-mile taneous shifts and the appearance of new bats return in six days by both young and adult of at variOlls times during the hibernating period the same species in southern Ontario (Hitch indicate a greater population change in winter cock and Reynolds, 1942). than has generally been supposed. 3. Can th e movemcnts of individual vats The proportion of recoveries of banded bats ve traced? from caves other than the ones in whicb they As already reported, banding has established were banded is too small to account for the pop the regularity of return of cave bats to their ulation changes observed by Verschuren, Folk, hibernating quarters and proven the existence and others. Rather than hanging in other caves of a reli1 arkably strong homing instinct. On the unknown to the banders, it can be assumed that other hand it has indicated that some banded they find other places o[ hibernation. The bats do not return to the same cave in successive winters. At Durham Mine, 8% of the 395 band ed bats retaken were found after apparent ab sences of four or more yea rs (20 after interva ls of 4 yea rs, 16 after .5 yea rs, 4 after 6 years, 6 after 7 years, and one each a Fter 8 and 9 years). It is unlikely that they a ll esca ped notice during the frequent inspecti ons des pite th e ex tensive nature of the mine. In New England, Griffin (19 ·IO a, 1945) has establi shed the fa ct that some bats move from cave to cave during the winter. Bats banded at the exposed East Dorset cave in · early fall have been found bter the sallle winter in caves as much as 125 llIiles away. Other fairly long win Fig 3. AN EAR TAG identified this Le ib's bat. trapped and ter flights have been reported in the same drowned by flood wate rs in Stover Cave, Pennsylvania. region. Griffin ( 194 5) es timates howe\·er, " that strongest likelihood is that they hibernate in [or every bat retaken after a shift from one cave crevices smaller than man can enter in quar
I Ca ll1phell"s \\"hite·,,·ashed hats ill Texas reportedly flew ries, in talus accumulations, and other places 30 lIliles ill ahollt o ne ho ur. Dubkin (1952) described which remain above the freez ing point. That the fli ght of 8 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY United States seems to be well known. Most cave colonies numbering 100 bats or more are visited an.nuall y. No evidence has bee n found to indica te that the banded bats migrate beyond the area studied by Griffin. It seems reasonably certain , as already pointed out, that bats use hibernating quarters other than caves and mines . For studying the shifts of individual bats [rom one portion of a cave to another part, ear tags offer a greater opportunity for observa tion and recording wilhout disturbance than do bands which are more often hidden from view. Fig . 4. WING BAN DING, orig ina lly used in European ex 4. What is the maximum life sjJan of bats pe rim e nts, became the a ccepted tec hnique in this country after 1940. If p roperly applied the band is free to sli d e of various species? along the fo rearm and d oes not disturb the bat. The pro ject To persons fa mili,H- with the extremely short ing thumb aids t he bat in getting a grip in climbing or, sometim es, as it hangs upside d ow n. li ves of small insecti\'ores and rodents-few live as much as two years- or with small birds, in latler respect, probably accounts for the influx which fiv e or six years is an old age, bats reach of ba ts into caves after sharp tempera ture drops quite remarkable ages. Data in Table 2 have in early winter (Folk 1940). been ex tracted from the U. S. Fish and \Vild The movement of individual bats between life Service fil es or have been furnish.ed by the their summer roosts on Cape Cod to caves in banders. the mountains of Vermont has been established 'With the exception of one EjJ tesicus, all by Griffin (1910a, 191 5) . Al least 5 bats have longevity recorcls in Table 2 were [or cave made seasonal fli ghls of 168 miles in one direc bats and represented returns at the point of tion. The perce n tage of such recoveries, be banding. tween summer and winter quarters, has been The ages tabulated abO\'e are calculated disappointingly small-slightly under 2% for from the date of banding, during hibernation, the most sll ccessful operations; for most banders so the' minimum age may be from 4 to 10 no recoveries ,,·hatever. months greater. .-\ ctuall y the bats were of un As Griffin ( 19 -~ 5) pointed OUl: "The data known age when banded. obtained do not sa tisfactorily indica te either the Scant attention has been paid to the poss i summer range of th e bats banded in caves or bility of recognizing bats of the year during the winter quarters of those marked in summer hibernation. Conseq uentl y it is difficu I t to deter colonies." mine the average age of groups of bats, the pro Three poss ible explanati ons are put forward portion of yo ung to adults being unknown. by Griffin: One may arri\'e at a bas is for estimating av "1. The coverage may have been too thin erage longevity i[ the surviva l rate is known. to sample more than an insignificant Eisentraut (1947) reports the annual loss among fraction of the caves or summer colo Myotis myotis in Germany to amount to 40% Illes . . . . with striking regularity. His calculations were 2. The bats may migrate entirely outside based upon the number o[ dead bats found the area studiecl .. . throughout the yea r. Since his findings .are com 3. There remains a speculative possibility para ble to those in th is cou n try in so man y th at these bats may use other places other respects it seems reasonable to assume a than caves for hibernati on,' at least in comparable mortality rate [or \1[. I. Ill cifug us, areas where caves are lacking . .." for exam pIe. While it must be admitted readily that cov Survival rate, then, would be 60% . lice erage of summer colonies is inadequate, the (1937) has ca lculated the theoretical age-gTou p location of accessible caves in the Northeastern composition for stable populalions, basing the BULLETIN NUM BER 14, SEPTEMBER) 1952 9 TABLE 2 LONG EV ITY R ECORDS FROM BANDED BATS Sj)ecies Age Locality Bander R ecord Myotis I. lucifugus Many 10, a (ew II, 12, New England Griffin 13-one 14 years Pennsylva nia Mohr M. sodalis Two-ten years Kentucky \IVelter Hitchcock M. subulatus leibii 9 years Pennsy I van ia Mohr !V£. hecnii sejJt enl1'ionalis 5 years Ontario Hitch cock PijJistl'elius subflav lI s OUSC1Il'li S 10 years \'Visconsin Greeley-Eld er EjJlesiclis f. fll sws Four- 9 years Ontario Hitchcock vVisconsi n Greeley-Elder calcula tions on the annual su n 'ival rates and (1931) reported that a fema le African coll ared assuming that there is no difference in death fruit-ba t, ROllsettus leachii, born in the London rate among the various age groups. Adapting Zoo, died a t an age of a t least 19 years, 9 the data p resented b y N ice in the tabular form months, and 25 d ays. Indian fruit bats, Pte1'O pus . used by Farner (1945) the theoretical ages giganleus, d o very well in European zoos, one would be as shown in Table 3. female living 17 years, I month and 26 days. Sixty_per cent survi va l theore.t:ir.a ll y g ives an The n ext lo nges t record was for R ousettus extreme longevity of ten years. Bu t it may well aegyjJtiaC1ls- 12 years, 7 months and 29 days. be with bats, as Nice suggested for the Song Trapido (19'16) reported an extrem e age of 12 Sparrow, that the survival ra te rises somewhat yea rs and 9 months for the vampire bat, D esmo in the la ter yea rs as the bats become more ex dus 1'Olundus murinus, kept in captivity at the perienced. This would increase lhe number of Gorgas Memorial L abora tory, in Panama. Two years that the last survivors would live, and ac other individuals survived for more than 10 count for the fraclion o f one per cent which years. attain an age of 12 years or even more. It is not surprising that the larger species of \ l\T hile not comparable LO longevity records bats have a longer life span tha n the smaller (or wild bats, m aximum ages recorded for ca p' species. This d ifference has b een d emonstrated tive individuals are o f some interes t. Flower a lso through bird banding as well as through TABLE 3 THEO RETICAL AGE-GRO UP COMPOSITION AND AVERAGE L ONGEVITY ACCORDING TO ANNUAL SURV IVAL RATES S II m ilia I Avemge HI Ie 15l 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th II th 12th 13th longevity 75% 25 19 14 I I 8 6 5 4 3 2 I 1 4.0 years 0 !) 60 , /0 40 N 14 9 3 2 I I I 0 0 0 2.5 years 50 f(~ 50 25 13 6 ;) 2 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.0 years 4W ,'t.0 60 24 10 4- 1 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.7 years 25 ~~ 75 19 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1. 3 yea]'s 10 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY records of ca pti\'e animals o [ various verte brate lIl ales and '].40 females. In Illino is, Cagle a nd groups. Cockrulll ( 1 9 ' ~ 3) examined 432 jU\'eniles of this 5. To what extent IS th e sex ralio dis/no species and re ported 2 13 [em a les a nd 2 19 males. jJO'rtiona te? It is e ncouraging to note that 13 of the As reported in the first survey of P e nnsyl ba nders indica te a n interest in this fi eld o [ lll vania hibernating colo nies (Mohr, 1932), a pre· vestigation. ponderance o[ m a le bats was no ted , sometimes 6. Can th e g1'Owt /1 of bats be charted? as high as 3 to I .- Data [rom nine hibernating Only in the South h ave maternity roosts colonies in caves, mines, a nd wnnels (i'vJohr, beell fo und in « I\·es. Northermost is COl'ynm' 1945) d efinitely esta blish ed this dispro portion l, intlS 1'. ra ji nesquii, in Virginia a nd \Vest Vir ate sex ratio. The average predomina nce of ginia. In eastern T e nnessee, M),otis grisescens m ale Myotis l. lu.cifll gll S was 62.3%; of Pi/Jis occurs in la rge " maternity wa rds". In the South t're1l1lS s. sub(lavus, 74.7% . In the case of M. s. wes t, T adarida lI1('xic(fl1a, /I1 ),o tis v. velifer, and leibii alone, the ratio h as been a lmost exactl y o the r sp ecies can be found a t this season , but in 1 : I. One of the few examples o[ [emale pre the North ca\'es gen erall y a re comple tely de d ominance so far rep orted , was in a series o [ 56 \'o id of bats in sLImm er. Eptesicl.IS f. fascus in Blue Mountain Tunnel, \Ving bancls applied shortly after birth have P e nnsylvania-·68% fem a le. But a larger series, establish ed the b ct lha t Myotis I. lucifugus, for 292 Eptesicus, showed 72% m a le. insta nce, reach es fu ll aclu lt size in a bout four During the winter of 1947-1948, Hitch cock weeks (Cagle a nd Cockrum, 1943) . The band ( 1950) visited 20 caves a nd mines, [rom Ontario ing o f juvenile bats olfers o ne o f the m ost prom to vVest Virg inia a nd Ke ntucky, including the ising fi elds [or ba nding acti vities. D a ta o bta ined m ajor known bat concentra tions. H e examined wi ll throw light on Ill a n y an unsolved problem. 4987 bats and found tha t the m ore northern One o [ the most surprising discO\'eries was .. o lon ies had the highest proportio n 01' males. m a cle b y Sh erma n ( 1937) who ba nded 76 jU\'e- The explanation [or the sexu a l unbala nce ad vanced bo th by Griflin (1940b) and Eise ntra u t (1947), a nd considered b y Hitchcock is that fe males have a high er m ortality ra te tha n males. Canadian re turns bear out this belief, since re turns o n females are much lower than on m ales. The m ost complete data BULLETIN NUMBER 14, SEPTEMBER) 1952 11 hal[ th eir li \"es . W here [or instance does iVIyo tis Extensive studies on the life history of Cory- soda /is spend the summer? Bat Cave, Carter 17oril il7"l1 S ra fi. nesquii intennedill s in California County, KenLu cky, harbours 90,000 of these bats have been greatl y aided by banding. Reports by in winter. T his and other winter haunts are Mary Koford and Oliver Pearson are nearing empty during the summer. completion. A nother example: A.t least 90% of all Myo In Fl orida a good-sized cave colony of Myo tis s'lI iJ'lI lat"ll s /eibii ever seen, between 800 and tis austm rijJa rillS was reported about 20 years 900, have been found hi bernating in two very ago but 'etlorts to find it in recent years have res tricled cave areas, in ce n tral Pennsylva nia been unsuccessful. Several small colonies are and in eJ.s tern O n tario, about 325 miles apart. under observa ti on by Indiana banders. There T he dozen or so ever found in summer have are no records from any o[ the interve ning been long distances [rom lhese hi berna ting ce n states. ters. O bservations by banders have indica ted Other jJ mmising pmjee ts alrea dy underway that M. s. leiuii and EjJtesicus f. II/ sellS are ex inclu de: tremely hardy and spend onl y the coldes t part A n inves tiga ti on of the physiology of of the winter in caves. hibernati on, by J ames R . Beer in M innesota. An a ttempt to trace the li[e history of blood paras ites in banded bats, by Sherman F. W ood, in California. T racing the day-to-day shifts of roving bands of bats, by J erome S. M ill er, in Michigan. ' Studies in endocrinology, and other labor atory invesL igali ons, by Elizabeth \ !\T. Smith in Ohio, alld Dellll Y G. Constantine, in California. Conclusion ,1\' i th :1 0 acti ve ba t banders 111 the U ni ted Sla les and Ca nad a, it is reasonable to expect that our kn owledge o[ ba ts will steadily ad va nce. T his report should demonstrate the need . [or sO lli e clearing house [or informati on. T he monthl y NSS NEWS provides a timely channel [or announcements and reports concerning the banding o[ CCI\'e ba ts, while the BU LLETI N Fig . 6. EQU I PM ENT fo r banding in clud es sc ree ned cage with and the newly instituted O CCAS ION AL PA c ake mould top , and cylind e r fo r lo ng metal rods eac h con taining 100 partly spread a lumin um b a nds. Here reco rder PERS are ava il able for completed papers on the Br uce Sl oa ne a ssists a uthor C harles E. Mohr in c hecking subject. Also, help is a.va il able [or certain types ba nded b ats at Durh am Mine . o[ in ves tigali ons. Scores of individual members PijJistreil'lls s. slI u{l aVlIS, on the other hand, of the NSS are willing to cooperale in vari ous may begin hibernali on in early September and ways. Some NSS grottoes are in a pos ition to not emerge [rom the caves until Mayor .June. provide valuable aid to the bat bander. T he pi pistrell e is a so lilary species widely dis Several poillls relati ve to inves tigali ons on tributed in caves. In fact, alm ost every cave has cave bats must be borne in n~ ind : a few hiberna ling indiv iduals. Populati ons o[ I. Bands are pr ov id e ~ by the U. S. Fish and se veral hundred are bein g found in certain \,Vildlife Se rvice lO cooperators who give eV I areas such as 'West Virginia. T his rela ti ve dence of being able to idenli fy the va rious spe abund; lnce h adn'l been suspected. Since this cies of ba ls and who have a definite project in species is ve ry easil y recognized, all spelunkers mind. T he Service has suggested that better co ca n hel p by reporti ng the nu m ber they find in ordina ti on of ba t banding acti vities will result every cave, on every visi l. if: members o[ the NSS who wish to become co- 12 NATIONAL S PELEOLOGICAL S OCIETY operators submit their applications either to ------19403. i\ [ig ra lions o f New Engla nd bats. HlI ll. i\[us. Compo Zool., vol. Sr" no . 6 , pp. 2 17·246, Dr. Hitchcock or to the author for approval. .~ pIs. 2. Extreme ca re should be taken to avoid ------19·IOh. l\otcs o n the li fe histories of New Engla nd cave bats. j o ur. ~[ a mm. , vol. 2 1, no. 2, unnecessa ry disturbances to hibernating colo pp. 18 1· 187. nies. There .is considerable evidence that a ------19·15. Trave ls o( banded ca,'e bats. number of bat colonies have seriously decreased j Ollr. :\[anlln., vol. 26, no. I , pp. 1.1-23. G UTHR IE, i\1. J. 1933. N o tes o n the seasona l movem e nts in size due to disturbances of various kinds. Al and h a bits o f some cave b;l b. j Ollr. "!amm., vol. 14. so there have been alarming reports of un no. I , pp. 1-19. warranted removal of ba ts from caves. Members HAl-I:" , W. L. 1908. H a bits a nd sensory adaptations of Gl\'e ba t; . Bio I. Bull., vol. 10, pp. [ 35- 193. of the NSS are urged to do everything possible HITC HCOCK, H . B. 19-10. Keeping track o f ha ts. Can. to safeguard remaining bat populations and to Field-Natural ist, \"0 1. 5~ , pp. 55-56. discourage the removal of any bats from hiber ------19-11. A device for op e ning small bands. Bird· banding, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 73-7-1. na ting quarters . -----'------19·19. Hi be r n a t ion of ba ts in 3. Cooperation is as ked in reporting band sou theastern O ntario a nd adjacent Q uebec. Can . Field-Natural ist, vo l. 63 , pp. ·17·59. numbers. The number must be read very ca re ------1950. Sex ratio in h ibernating bats. fully to make sure that it is complete. Most N'l l. Speleological Soc., b ull. 10, pp. 26·28. numbers will have two parts, as: ;8\8 ;. R eport HITCHCOCK, H. B. a nd K. R EY"OLDS. 1 9~2. H oming ex 7 peri m cllls with the little brown bat, M l'otis I. luci ing of the stJ ecies and sex if known, will provide fug- lls (Le CO llle). j our. 1\[al11 111., vol. 23, no. 3. pp. a n additional check, es peciall y if part of the 258·267. H OO PER , W . :\1. , J. D. H . H OO I' ER, a nd T. R . SHAW. 1950. number is obliLerated. R eports should be se nt Some o b erv:J lio ns o n the distributio n and move· promptly to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, m e nts of cave·dwelling bats in De,·onshire. Natural· Washington 25 , D : C. T he reports will be ist, no. 835, pp. 1'19- 157. ------195 1. Ba t-ba nding in Devonshire. Na acknowledged and information as to the time ture, vo l. 167, pp. 555·557. and place of handing will hf furnished. H OWELL , A. B. and L. LIlTLE. 192+. Additio nal notes o n Califo rnia bats. J o ur. i\ [al11m ., vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 26 1·263. LiTER ATUR E C ITED i\ [OI-IR , C. E. 1932. The seasonal distrib ution of bats in ALLEN, A. A. 192 1. Banding' bats. J o ur. Mamm., vol. 2, P e nnsy lvan ia . Proc. Pcnnsy lvania Acad. Sci., vol. 12, no. 2, p p. 53·57. pp. 124· 129. ANCIAUX, f. 19·18. L e sommiel hiverna l de nos C hei ------1933. The study o f bal move m e nts. The ropteres d 'apres d es Ohserva tio ns locales. Bull. 1,,(us. Biologist, vol. I +, no. 2, pp. 72-7·1. Hist. nal. Helg. vol. 2+, no. 25, pp. 1·27. ------1 93~. i\! arking bats for la te r recogni tio n. BELS, L. 1952. Fiftee n yea rs of bat banding in T h e Proc. Pennsylvan ia Acad. Sci .. \"0 1. S, pp. 26-30. Nethe rlands. R eprinted from: PlIblicaties va n h e t ------1939. Ba t tagging in P e nnsylvan ia . Proc. Na tllurhi ~ t or i sch Genootsch ap in Limburg. R eeks V. P ennsy lva nia Acad. Sci., vol. 13, pp. ~3-~5. CAGLE, F. R . a nd L. COCKRUM . 1943. Notes o n a SIIIn· ------19·12a. B3t tagging in Pe nna. Turnpike m e r colony of Myotis lucifllgllS IIICifllgllS. J o ur. tllnnels. J our. 1\[ a min., vol. 23, no. 4 , pp. 375-379. Malllm., vol. 2·1, no. 4, pp. 474-492. ------1942b. R esults of te n years' bat mark'ing C A ~ IPIl E L L , C. A. R. 1925. Bats, m osqnitoes and dol· in Pe nnsy lvania. l' roc. Pe nnsylvania Acad. Sci., vol. lars. T h e Stratfo rd Co., Boston. pp. 62·63. 16 , pp. 32-36. D UBK IN, L. 1952. T he w hite lady. G. 1'. Putna m 's N ICE, i\ 1. i\f. 1937. Stud ies in the life history of the SO li S, Nell' York . song sparrows, r. Trans. L inn. Soc., N. Y., 'I, p. 194. EISF NTJ BULLETIN NUMBER 14, SEPTEMBER) 1952 13 Photo by J'Verll er Co hn i lz The Tower, a magnificent sta la gmite 15 feet high about 800 feet from t he e ntrance of G uacharo C ave. 14 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY The Guacharo Cave By EUGENIO de BELLARD PIETRI Th e allUit ellr natllmlist £s 1Jrobably not unfamili(1T with th e guac/)(lTo, or oil bird, which inhabits th e north ern portio'll of the So uth A merica n co ntinent, hut kn owledge of til e existence of S'II ch a noetllmal ca ve-dwelling bij'd may come as sOJl1 ewhat uf a slIr/Hise tu till: North A JI1 en'call sprlunher. Th is account is /nesen ted not so m1l ch for its trea tm ent of th e gl.la cham as for its tlnilling record of haw rcioll S cave exlJlora tion by a II ex pert Venezu ela n speleologist. F01" /Iis many co ntributi017S to sjJe leological Imowledge th e au thor was j'ecently mvanled a Cert ifi cate uf Merit by til e ,\'ational Speleologica l Society. Guacharo Cave, the largest so far discovered light containing h e new dry-ce ll s. T his gallery ip Ve nezuela, is located in the northern part of is inhabited by thousa nds of birds which scream Monagas . sta te, ncar the vi Il age of Cari pe. 1 ts consta ntly after the first ligh t starts probing entrance, possibly one of the largest in the their dark empire. The room itself has a more world, is 85 feet wide by 76 fe e t high. T he total or less constant width of 68 feet, varying in length o[ the C B ULLETIN NUMBER 14, S EPTEM BE R} ] 952 15 Ecologica ll y, this part o f the Gl\·ern presen t sha ll classify as T roglobious biota, since no ed T roglophiles and Trogloxenes. IIi the first light ever reaches within 1,5 00 fe e t of this fi s gro up, T he Steatornithidae were the only m em sure, and bo th their environment and anatomic bers fo und, since no C hiro ptera were seen any al ch ar acteristi cs suggest tha t classification. where. T he second gro up presented a zoological The Hall o f Si lence itse lf is so-called be indi \'id ua l, a white rat, a nd a great many pl a nts ca use of · its vivid contrast with the tremendous belo ng ing to a few species growing from the no ise consta ntly kept up by the shrill screams of seeds that the G uacharo birds drop from their the birds inhabiting the previous room. It is perches aftcr ea ting. P articul arly noticeable 622 feet long, being a lso traversed b y the same were pa lm seed s, some o f which must have been ri\·er m entio ned before. To the left a sma ll ga thered in remote places such as the va ll ey of opening connects it with the Precio us Hall, the Ori noco Ri \"C r, a fan tastic distance of 13 1 miles away. T hese particul ar pa lm trees have no t been iden tifl cd in the surro unding (ores ts. The little, pa le, a lmos t colorless plants grow in pi tc h darkness. a nd ha \·c therefore no chl oro phyll wha tsoe\·e r, a tta ining sca rce ly 18 in ches in he igh tat the m ost. The passage to the Hall o f Sil ence, a H y drospoele, is thro ug h a short but na rrow a pert ure. This short crawlway is inhabited by hun dreds o f cri ckets (Fa mil y Gryllidae) which I Photo by W erner Cohn;lz Fig. 3. Precious Ha ll contains hundre d s of these un iq ue for matio ns which cover a low gallery at its end. loveli es t of the first section o[ the cavern, and at its very end a pool of [rigid waters, Hum bold ts Pool, marks the apparent end o f this gal lery. T his part of the cave is only 24 feet high a ne! 2 1 fee t wide. T he Precious Hall is considered a Mesos pode since it possesses quite a humid en viro n ment th ough it lacks consta nt wa ter d eposits or streams. It is 370 feet lo ng, presellling lovely formatio ns o f pure ca lcium carbonate. T he he ig h t o[ this hall is considera ble, being in some places nearl y equa l to that of the Guacharo H a ll ; the wie!th va ries constantly, averaging a bo u t 45 Fee t. To the righ t o[ the hall is a pi t near! y 20 fect d e<.: p, which conncct.s this great room with a Iess <.: r known part o f the ca vern, the "Caribe Vidal's R oom ", a lso a Mesospoele. T his gall ery, nea rl y 120 feet lo ng. has bea utiful heli ctites a ll o\·cr o ne o f the wa ll s. The passage to this d ream 1'1/1) /0 by R ober/a I~ . COII /r('rns rOO Ill is quite dangero us [or inexperienced ex Fig. 2. The author ho lds o ne o f the famous G uacha ro, or oil birds. plorers since one llIu st clilllb in to a narrow 16 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY crevice at the \'ery brink of a 26 foot pit. T he a triangular opening abO\'e the wa ter's surface helicti tes are so pure tha t they resemble crys tal measuring 9. inches wide and 16 inches high. fl owers more than anything else . H ere, before this som ber gap, the frigid wa ters TI~e second secti on of the cave rn is reached reach the explorer's armpits. Below the water by climbing a steep boulder in the H all of Sil line, the opening widens just enough to permit ence just a t the end of Humboldt's Pool. Being the explorer to dive through sideways a t a point a narrow and ugly crevice, few explorers \' ~ n 2 feet below the surface for the full 4 yards ture farther. On the other side the rive r is met distance of the Wind Pass. In the middle of this again in a narrow gall ery. H ere one must re pass the air gap at the wa ter surface decreases move his equipment since two nas ty passes m ust to a sca rce 2 inches high by 3 inches wide, thus be traversed, one by diving. H ere it is advisable forcing the explorer to actually di\'e a treacher to strip d own to sw imming trunks in order to ous 12 fee t where anything ca n happen. avoid all poss ible weigh t. ScharfFenorth's Pass is \'Ve spent the mos t dangerous minu tes in all ra ther easy, si nce the icy-cold wa ter merel y our speleological explora ti ons in getting reaches the spelunkers neck! Arriving at "Vind th rough sLl ch a dangerous cre\·ice. One member Pass we were quite shocked a t its form idable, o[ our party nea rl y drowned in attempting to forbidding appea rance. s\\'im in a prone pos ition in going through. As T his crev ice is so-ca ll ed on account of a soon as he llIrnecl he was held fas t between both stead y air gush th a t co nstantly fl ows through its \\'a ll s of the pass. Sheer luck and ability in opening, from the depths towards the m outh of Swillllll ing saved his li fe . In such a spot he was the cave. It is e lip ~o i d in shape, presenting onl y . \'irtually helpless and we were almost unabl e to drag him from the dea th trap due to the \'ery narrowness of the fi ss ure. Necessary equipmen t was passed through in sealed auto ti re inner tubes. Behind the Wind Pass a 10\\' gallery led us to th e "Vaterfall R oom, and from there, after a nas ty cl imb in the R oom of the R ope Stone (a \'ertica l shaft that requires it strong rope lift to be tra\'ersed) we reached the Great R oom of the Hall of the \'Vind ..-\n immense room, q uite a bit wi der in ;til re3pects than the previoll s ones of the G uacharo H all , opened before liS. Blood red crys taline stalactites, stalagmites and sr.aghetti-Iike formations met . our astonished eyes. T hese formations glowed like frozen em bers as soon as the fl ashligh t beams fe ll u pon them. Our Coleman gasoline lam p (500 ca nd le power) ga \'e us onl y a poor concep tion of the magnificence of this huge ha ll. A white rat was seen here, to our Ulm ost amazement. Toward the right, Alell 's R oom left u s. dumbfoundecl : helictites, stalagmites, columns,. sta lacti tes, all were unspeakably beau tifuL E \'ery square ya rd of the fl oor differed from the. preceding one with 10\'ely lace formati ons. From lhere on, the cavern seems to shrink into a narrow but tall gall ery thousa nds of feel Photo by Robert o E. Co ntre ra s long. T hus we arriyed a t the H all of T owers. Fig. 4. The forbid d in g approach to Wind Pa ss is 700 feel fro m the G uacharo bi rd s. . the dangerous Pass of the Knives, the H all of B U LLETI N N UM BE R 14, S E PTEMBER) 1952 17 the Vaults a nd the Final Hall, so tall that all our li ghts combincd failcd to g iyc us a glimpse of its dome. T his part of the cavcrn is da nger ous, since the rivcr Hows sil ently 25 feet below and one must walk on slabs barel y balanced tha t co nstantly threaten to ca use yo ur [all into thc narrow gorge that the ri\'cr through ce ntur ics o[ action has cu t in the rocks below. Th is bei ng the end we llIrncd back at 6: 30 p.m. a[ter a Yer y light lunch o[ sausage and brcad that had bee n soa ked in the icy waters of the 1liVind P ass. T he return trip was without in cidclll . .1 n th is sec ti on of the Gt\'e, wc on I y fou nd as biota a white rat (about 4,050 [eet from the Photo /)\, II'CrII Gr CO /II/it : Fig . 6. The entrance room. a[ter failing to find thc fissure through which they came in. In fairness to pre\'ious ex plorers we must ad mit that wc were not the first to ve nLure through thc \Vind Pass, but we were un doubtedl y the first to reach and explore the end of the G I\'C and the \'cry first to photograph iLS somber brea thta king magn ifi cencc . Photo by W erner Co/mitz T hc total expl<;>ration of Lh c H all of the Fig. 5. The Elephants Feet. Winds took 16 hours, while the exploration of e ntra nce) and "Lapa" tracks. T he Lapa, a the better known part of the cave a mere 6 hours. T h e cxploration of the Hall of Lh e rodent (C lIl1iCllias /Jaca; Family Dassyproctidae, Sub-Ordcr Sil1lpli cidcnta ta, Order R odentia) is \ Vinds was begun at 9:-15 a.m., re turning 16 a n a nimal vc ry similar to a bea\'cr, minus Lhe ho urs later at J AS a.m. T he \'Vind Pass was tail. Both the rat and thc lapa ev idently come traversed first at 10 :30 a.m . and then at 12:30 from the mounLain side, whose surface must be a.m ., "fter I <~ hours of exploration. quite near to the cnd halls of the cave through some sti II u ndiscovcred crack in the rock. Thcir I..ITER.-\TURE c rrED prese nce in the cave at this depLh , otherwisc BARR, JR., T ll o ,\I ,\S c:. 19-19. A prelimina ry s Wei ), of cave ecology. Bull. NaL'1 Speleolog ica l Soc. No. II. would be absolutely unexplainable. T hus, these ROllI., EDIJARDO. 19-12. Valilia deseripLi va de Venezuela. specim ens o[ zoologica l fauna must be included T i pografla .. \ Ill Criea li a. Ca raeas. as T rogloxencs, Lhat is, accidental speleological 1-1 U ,\I 11 0 1.0'1', ..\U:X":-; DER \'o~. 1!}lI . Viajc a las regioll es cq llillocciaics del IIlI evo conLili cllte. T alleres d e a rtcs Ltuna, poss ibly lost. or astray in the dark cavcrn g r;Ui cas. Ca ratas. 18 NATIONAL SPE LEOLOGICAL SOCIETY AFurther Description of The Guacharo Cavern By DR. GEORGE HARTWIG This accoHnt of th e falllous G uacham C(l1Je was fuulld ill a bouli entitled " T I, e Subterranean T¥orld" tJlI blished by Longmans, Green, and Co., in L ondon in J 87 j an d is 1'e jJrinted " erewi th as a campa nion piece to the jJreceding article /; cc(l1Ise it tI, roWS l[ght on some of the earlier explorations in this car'e . In the class of birds wc find lTlany ca\'e o[ mOSl nocturnal birds, is so mbre brownish ha unting species. The pigeons like to nes tl e in grey, mixed with black stripes and large while grottoes, which also sen 'e as welcome retrea lS ' pOLS. The eyes are inca pable of bearing the to thc mopillg owl; and \'arious swa ll ows and light o[ day, and the wings are disproportion ~w i[ts breed chieHy in the darkness of caverns. aLely large, measuring not less thari fo ur fee t One of thc 1lI 0s t remarkable of these troglodytic and a half from tip to tip. It quits the ca\'ern birds js the Gu;\charo, which inhabits a large only a t nightfall , especially when there is moon Gl\'C in the Va ll ey of Caripe, near the LOwn of ligh t; and Humboldt remarks that it is almos t C umana, and of which an interes ting account Lhe onl y frugi\'orous nocturnal bird ye t known, has been give n by Humboldl, who first intro [or it does not prey upon insects like the goat duced it lo the notice of Europe. sucker, but feeds on very hard fruits, which its The Cueva del Guacharo is pierced in the strong hooked bea k is well fitted to crack. The vertica l profile of a rock, and the entrance is to horrible noise made by thousands of these birds wards the south, forming a noble vault eighty in the dark recesses of the cavern ca n be com feet broad and sc venty-t wo feet high. The rock pared on ly to the wild shrieks of the sea-mew. • surmounting the cavern is covered with Lr ees round a solitary bird mountain, or to the deaf of giganlic grow th , and all the luxuriant pro ening uproar of the crows when assembled ip fu sio n of an inter-tropica l vegetati on. Pl a nL ain va st Hocks in the dark fir-forests of the North. leaved heliconias, and wondrous orchids, the The cl amour increases on advancing deeper in Praga palm, and tree arums, grow along' the to the ca ve, the birds being disturbed by the banks of a ri\"C r that Hows out of the Gl\'e, while torch-light; and as those nes tling in the side lianas , and a variety of creeping plants, rocked avenues of the GlV e begin to utter their mourn to and fro by the wind, form elegant festoo ns ful cries when the first sink into sil ence, it before its entrance. ,,,Tha t a contrast between seems as if their troops were alternately con' this Ill agnifi ce ntly decorated portal and the pl aining to each other of the intruders. By fix gloomy mouth of the Surtshcllir, imbedded in i ng torches to the end of long poles, the Indians. the lava wi ldernesses of Iceland? As the cave at who se n 'e as guides into the ca vern, show the first penetrates into the mountain in a straight lI es ts o[ these birds, fifty or sixty fe et above the directi on, the light of day does not disa ppear heads of the explorers, in funnel-shaped holes fo r a considerable dispnce from the entrance, wilh which the ca \'ern roof is pierced like a so that visitors are abl e to go forward for about sie\·e . [our hundred and thirty feet without being Once a year, about midsummer, the obliged to light their torches; and here, where G uacharo e l\'ern is entered by the Indians. light begins to fail , the hoarse cr;es of the Armed wilh poles they ransack the grea ter part nocturnal birds are hea rd froll1 afar. of the n eS lS, while the old birds, uttering The guacharo is of the size of the co III III on lamen table cries, hover over the heads of the [owl. Its hooked bill is wide, like that o f the robbers. The young which fa ll down are opened goat-su cker, and furnished at the base with stiff on the spot. T he peritonaeuIU is [ound loadecl hairs directed forwards. The plumage, like that with fat, and a layer of the sa me substance B U LLETJ N NUMBER 14, SE PTE MBER) 195 2 19 reaches [rom lhe abdomen LO the \'ent, forming GI\'e maintains the same direction, width, ami a kind of cushion between the birds' legs, The height of sixty or seventy fe et, so that it would European nocturnal birds are meagre, as, in be difficult to find another mountain cavern of stead of feasting on fruils and oily kernels, they so regular a formation. Humboldt had great live upon the scanty produce of the chase; while difficulty in persuading the natives to pass be in the guacharo, as in our fattened geese, the yond the pan of the cave which they usually accumulation of fat is promoted by darkness \'isit LO collect the oil , as they believed its deeper and abundant food, At the' period abo\'e penelralia to be the abode of their ancestors' mentioned, which is known at Caripe as the 5pirits; but since the great naturalist's visit, they 'oil harvest,' huts are erected by the Indians seem to have abandoned their ancient supersti with palm leaves ncar the entrance, and even ti ons, or to ha ve a,cyy i red a grea ter cou rage in in the very porch of lhe ca vern. There the fa l facing the mysteries of the grotto, [or, while of the young birds just killed is melted in clay lhey would only accompany Humboldt as far pots over a brushwood fire, and is said to be as 236 ' fathoms into the interior of the cave, ve ry pure and of a good taste. Its small quantity, later travellers, such as Codazzi and Bea uper however, is quite out of proportion to lhe num lUis, ha\'e acl\'anced with their guides to double bers killed, as not more than 150 or 160 jars of the distance, though without reaching its end. perfectly clear oil are collected [rom the massa They found that beyond the furthest point ex cre of thousands. plored by Humboldt the ca ve loses its regular The way into the interior of the cavern ity, and has its walls co\'ered with stalactites. In leads along the banks of the small river which the embranchmcnts of the grotto Codazzi found flows through its dark recesses; but sometimes innumerable birds, It was formerly supposed large masses of stalactites obstruct the passage, and force the visitor to wade through the wa that the guacharo \"as exclusi\'e ly co nfIned 10 ler, which is, however, not more than two feet this cave; latterly, however, it has also been deep. As far as 1,458 feet from the entrance the found in the pro\'ince of Bogota. 20 NATIONAL Sl'ELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY The Orca GoesUndergronnd By PHIL C. ORR Santa B.(nbara lVI'IIselllll of .\'atllral HislrJI )' P/w lns uy lI 'al ler S, Challluerlill Nowli el'e will onc filld a lIIore fa scillating ({ ccmlll! of a jJ erfec tly urganized and administered s/J eleologiral eX /J ed;tion I/Jan iil tltis reJnint of an rntiC/c fr'om Vo lume XXVI, No.2 of M USEUM TAJ. A" , jJlIblish ed by til e Santa Barbara Nfuse illn of .Vatuml f-li story. Fron lien of sjJ elenlogical res{>(Ircll were adval/ced on til e 'lIl clr/omble 7l o)'age It crcin described and 1I7 11 ch credit is due to J oscjJ /J TV. Scfton , Jr" oWl/er of lIl C ORC, } and to til e au/llOr and Itis cOIll /){ll/ions wlto givc us all ins;gllt illtu tile sec rets of tlt e U1 ves of til e San ta Rarbam Cltallllf>i Islands. As the research sh i p Orca of the Sdton Foundation o[ San Diego dropped anchor in Santa Barbara H arbor the first of June, 1950, a big- four-wheel dri\'e truck labeled " Nati onal Speleologica l Society," escortecl by the ]\[useum jeep, pulled up at the breakwater and proceed ed to unload , Soon se \'eral conventional cars arri ved wi th more scien tists and gear. " vVhat in the worlel! " wondered peopl e on the breakwater as microscopes, cli\'ing helmet, canleras, batteries, picks and plant presses were loaded in to a skiff and ferried out to the Orca. The Orca is dedicated by her Master, J oseph \'\' , Sdton, .Jr. , to scien tifi c research in coastal waters [rom Santa Barbara to Mexico and the Fig . I. Research shi p Orca a t West Anacapa Isla nd. Fo re writer has been fortunate to ha\'e joined her ground: Phil C. Orr, C urator of G eology and A nthropolog y ex pedi ti ons a t least once a year. at Santa Barbara M useum of Natura l Hi story and assistant, T his time it was the Sefton Speleological Ex R, S. Fin ley. Dr. C. H, M ull er, Botanist from Sa nta Barbara pedition, T his expedition, the cu lmina tion of C ollege and C harles Stasek, stud ent. about te n years planning on the part of the author, was made possible by the generosity o[ Mr. Sdton a nel the cooperation of the National Speleologica l Society .through Eel Danehy and Art Lange of th e DStanforel Grotto, and \'\falt Chamberlin of the Southern Ca lifornia Grotto. Botanist Dr. C. I-I. Muller, zoologist Dr. Don \'\'ootton and students Charles Stasek and Charles Judso n, all of Sa nta Barbara College, the author and R . S. Finley. of the Museum stan, CO lli pleted the sc ien ti fic crew. ' ~L;0 Our purpose was to ilwestigate the sea ca\'es ~ " SANIACllut SANfA IIOS.\ o[ Anaca pa and San ta Cruz Islands-to m ap them, determine their size anel to in\'estigate the cave life. Caves of the isl ands have been known since 1890, when Lorenzo Yates described several. BULLETIN NUMBER 14, SEPTEMBER) 1952 21 Other writers have mentioned or described ""eather, as usual on the islands, was bad .. some of them but apparently few have actually Northwest winds kept the channel in a choppy visited them. Four caves had been recorded for condition and ground swells dashed on the the Anacapas, but we found fifty. rocks and completely filled the smaller caves, so Captain Kandy set a course for the west is· we weighed anchor and coasted along the north land of Anacapa, then cruised in close to shore. shore of Santa Cruz Island from. San Pedro With Art Lange and the writer at the maps and Point, on the east end, to West Point. notes, Dick F~nley and Walt Chamberlin hand More ' than a hundred caves were located in ling color and black and white cameras and the this distance. After a hazardous attempt off remainder of the crew wit-h binoculars, we Cache Point to investigate cav.es in what looked made a preliminary survey of the west, middle like a sheltered spot, we anchored in Pelican and east islands of Anacapa. Bay where a shore party collected plants, lizards, Anchoring at -Fisherman's Camp on ''''est Is moll usks and minerals. Another small party in land we worked out with small boats and a · a boat investigated Algae Cave, a small cave in canoe, entering the sea caves, measuring, map a protected cove. 1 ts walls and ceiling were ping, photographing, collecting minerals and coated with a brilliant red algae, it species of algae, and observing marine life. The most interesting cave is on West Island. Dr. Yates mentioned it in 1890, so we named it Yates Cave. This huge room, hollowed out by wave action along a fault plan e~ measures 200 feet across with an arched ceiling 100 feet high. Water occupies most of the cave and a . forty foot boat could ride at anchor in it. At each end is a pebble beach. The remarkable coloring on the roof and walls is a blending of the yellows, greens and browns of algae and minute crystals of arago nite. Sea Lion Cave, also on West Island, must be entered by its six-foot tunnel at low tide or during periods of no surge, for the ceiling is too Fig. 2. In Yat ~s Cave, West Anacapa Island . low to risk being smashed against it by a heavy wave. The tunnel goes back a hundred feet, Rhodochorton first known from McKinnon's then turns to the left. Tomb in Scotland and found in Finley Cave The heavy resonance of sea lions barking last year by the Museum's San Miguel Island within the cave is depressing to the ear and Expedition. ' '''e found this algae again later in makes one wonder if one of these five hundred Babys Cave and Sponge Cave... pounders will land in the boat. However, they High winds prevented us from making in- gathered qn the little beach at one end of the vestigations of any but the more sheltered caves, cave and' posed for flashlight pictures and, while . so while the Orca went off on a porpoise hunt, some made frantic efforts to escape, none landed the speleologists' went ashore at Ladys Harbor in the skiff. which, with its companion, Babys Harbor, form Key110I e Cave, which v~e named for its one of the nicest spots to be found on the is shape, looked enticing and the author attempt lands, The deep ,blue waters of the. two harbors ed twi ce to enter it in a canoe but waves ten to meet the beach where a steep rocky canyon fifteen feet high at its mouth prevented even a comes from the hills. A running stream is peek. banked with ferns and mosses and the little is Abalone Cave on Middle Island is small, land tree frogs play in the pools. with barely room for a skiff. It is the only cave Babys Cave is located on the point o£ rock in which we found live abalones. separating the two harbors and can ' only be 22 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETy e ntered by Imal. The ceiling is coI'cred with rcd (oot Gl\T. Boats can be beached in o ne mouth, algae a nd the water within the Gll'e is indirectly which is about forty feet widc, a nd then you lig hted by hidden underwate r passages to the can walk dry shod thro ugh another e ntrance o utside, so that the water along the edges of the in to thc ca n yon . rock g ives ofr a soft greenish g low, Nearby is a dry g ulch which is concealed Spongc Cll'e, to the \I'est of this, is entered fronl land and sea, but which opens o nl y thro ug h an opening just large eno ug'h to take thro ug h a sho rt . tunnel-just the place for a skifL T he roof is suppe))'led by pillars and o ur ~Illa ll boys to play pirate and fo r big ones to b e boat f1 0atcd in the narro\l' passage, going into spelcologists, total darkness for a hundred feet a lld the ll the li g ht of Ollr flashes no 10 ll ger reach ed the walls, SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL \Ve seellled in thc Illiddle of nowhere, until o ur Sponge Cave eycs becallle accustollled to the dilll li g ht a nd Santo Cruz hland lI'e saw ;1 largc roolll \I'ith another la rgcr passage o = ceiling height leading back inlO the Ill o untain, from watcr (feetl ' '''ith o ur fLt shlig hts \I'e cO llld sec the bottolll adapt.:,J I f um .\h·rf"h b) o f this passagc fo ur lO twenty (eel below us A . L. I .an!:!!..' SG ,I SS Ihrough the crysta l- clear \I'ater and the rocks were coI'C red wilh brilliant whitc objeCls o f Illany sizes. \Vonde ring what they were, we tried pro bing with an oar ulltil Dick Fillley went o \'crboard lO \I' ad e in the cold water, hopi ng a Illoray eel wouldn't CO llI e o ut of a clT I'ice. Hc bro ug ht up slllall while spongcs that lil'e h ere b y the thousallds ill darkness. This cave is about 3:)0 fect lo ng, up to :j O / feet widc and, like Babys C II'C , is coatcd with / red a lgac, Deep inside is a sm a ll beach where we coll ccted barnaclcs and 1ll o llusks. 'I'res B OG ts at Valdez is o ne that h as bcen I'i sitcd by Illan y people, for thc best landing to Ih e c ln yon is Illade thro ug h this four hundred- B U I.LETI N NUI\IBER 14, SEI'TEl\flIER, 19 5~ 23 The Occurrence of .Quartz Stalactites in . The Rock Creek District of Douglas County, Oregon By ROBERT HOU SLEY Freshman, R eed College R esearch in th e field of cave minemls needs the attention of all who can throw light on the relationships thal exist in the building up of the lIll1'ie d fonnations. One little detail may not seem important but, added to many other little details, each idea contributes toward the solution of the most baffling /ymb!em. A glimjJse into the comjJiexity of some of th ese pmblems is given in this article so ably W1'iUen by a young high school student who, because of his obvious abilit)" is a member of the Committee on Formations and }\1inemlogy of the National Speleological Society. INTRODUCTION nar. H ere the minerals are found in gas formed vVell-formed quartz stalactites have recently cavities up to about 50 x 30 x 8 cm. in size. been ·found at four localities in the Rock Creek These c~v itie s were all lined originally ,vith District of Douglas County, Oregon. These four chalcedony, quartz, or calcite, which did not localities; the Lone Rock quarry, the Rock follow any order of deposition. In some cases Creek quarry, a gravel pit near Rock Creek, and calcite formed first followed by chalcedony and a cut along the new North Umpqua Highway druzy quartz, while in other cases chalcedony are shown on the accompanying map. They form ed first followed by druzy quartz and ca l have all been exposed recently by logging and cite. The last minerals to form were the zeolites, road building activities. The region is fairly laumontite, heulandite, and stilbite. Of these, mountainous and heav il y timbered . The rock is laumontite is the most common, forming crys of an igneous nature and overlies the Umpqua tals up to 1.5 cm. long in many of the cavities, Formation sediments of the Eoce ne period. while only a few · small crystals each have been DESCRIPTION OF LOCALITIES found of heulandite and sti lbite. Locality number one, the Lone Rock quarry, Three cavities co ntaining quartz stalactites is in columnar diabase immediately above the and one loose stalactite group have been found Umpquc; Formation. With the exception of a here. The whole top of the larges t cavity, which large ve in of calcite with a little associated py measured about 50 x 30 x 8 cm., was covered rite all the minerals occurred in gas formed with stalactites up to 6 cm. in length. Many of cavities up to about 10 cm. in diameter. There these stalactites were speckled with small lau were few of these cavities and the only minerals montite crystals. On the bottom of the cavity found in them were quartz and calcite. were several calcite crystals, some coated with The one quartz stalactite found here was 3.5 quartz, others not. T here were no stalagmites cm. in diameter and 4.6 cm. long. It is broken at leas t none sufficiently developed to be differ off at both ends and was found loose. It is made entiated from normal sllr[ ~ l ce irregularity. H ow up of a 5 mm. chalcedony ce nter surrounded by ever, there was what appeared to be several sta quartz crystals approximately 1.5 cm. long. In lac ti tes tha t had broken of I the top, cemented the middle of this chalcedony ce nter is an area haphaza rdly onto the bottom. I rom. in diameter which is softer and less The a\·erage diameter of these single stalac translusce nt than the res t of the chalcedony. tites is from 2 to 4 mm.; however, many of . Locality number tW 9, the Rock Creek quar them formed together in sheets which are be ry, is loca ted in diabase similar to that of the tween I and 2 cm. wide. The single stalactites Lone R ock quarry except that it is not colum- are made up almost entirely of druzy quartz, 24 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY which radiates outward from the center. In up to about 90 degrees. Several have branches some of the single stalactites, a hollow chalce at approximately 90 degree angles; then these dony center was visible under 20x magnifica branches in turn have stalactites hanging from tion; in others none was seen: The stalactitic . them. There are other stalactites that have sheets seemed to be made up of single stalac forks out at acute angles, and some that split so tites joined together by a thin sheet of chalce- that both forks are acute to perpendicular. @ Cur!N NeW IIberH {/M~ HIGHWI1Y = £bAo - ---- T,eqIL 1-+-IMtu-1 .,, " , , , I ,. / ( I \ \ \ \ ./'\ Ch'mne.!l """\ eock ,, Fi g. I. Map of Rock Creek Di strict of Douglas C ou nty, Oregon . dony coated with druzy quartz. In some cases The next larges t cavity containing quartz this sheet of chalcedony is indistinct or possibly' stalactites found a t the Rock Creek quarry was absent, and the stalactites appear to be joined abou t 8 x 8 x 5 cm. It con tai ned stalacti tes that only by druzy quartz. are approxim ately 6 m111 . in diameter and 2 011. An interesting characteristic of these stalac long. These stalactites hang vertica lly with no tites is their tendency toward turning and tendency toward abnormal growth. They are branching. 'Many of them have curves ranging made up of druzy quartz ~r ysta l s radiating from B ULLETIN NUMBER 14, SEPTEMBER, 1952 25 a center that is just visible in a few specImens under 20x magnification. The smalles t stalactite-containing cavity found here was about 5 x 5 x 3 cm. in size. The stalactites found in it are approximately 2mm. in diameter and 1 cm. long. They consist of a hollow chalcedony shell covered with radiating quartz crystals. T his chalcedony shell is ap proxima tci y 0.125 mill . thick, and the hollow center is about 0.25 nUll. in diameter. Most of these stalacti tes hang straight down; however, a few have sharp curves near the end, and several are growing out at angles from the sides. There were also Lwo stalagm i tes growing up from the bottom. These stalagmites seem to be identica l with the stalactites, including the hollow center surrounded by the chalcedony shell. One of PllOto bl' Iri/lilllli ] . Po stl' l Fig. 3. Si ngle stalactite showing cu rve; fr o m the Rock Creek Q uarry. them even has a short projection ou L a t a righ t angle. In a small corner of the cavity was a space approxilll ately 0.5 square cm. ill area where the stalactites consisted on ly of the holl ow chalce dony sh ell without the coating of druzy quartz. These stalactite shells are approx imately o. r) mill. in diameter and 5 III Ill. long. Some of them show curves identica l 'with the curves shown by the normal stalactites in the cavity. The loose stalactite group [Ollnd here is aboll,t 18 x 15 x Scm. in size. It consists of pale blue stalactites approximately S nln1. in di ameter of a soft dark material su rrouncled by a 2 to :I mm, layer of chalcedony and dru~. y quartz. On top of this has been deposited a Photo by William ] . Foster heavy coa ting 01' laumontite. Many of these Fi g . 2. Single q uartz stalactite fro m the gravel p it near sta \a cti tes are grown together in sheets, and a Rock Cree k. few of them have long, smooth curves. The 26 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY stalactites in the sheets are joined by a thin T h e second largest stalactite from here is la ye r of d ark material coated with chalcedo ny vcry similar to the first. It is G cm. in diame ter a nd druzy quartz. a nd 7 cm. long. I t conta ins a n irregular centra l The third locality, a grave l pi t near R ock ca vity 1.5 cm. in diameter a nd 6 cm. long. Creek, is ill a layer of loose rock a nd clay left by The th ird largest sta lactite is 2.7 cm. in the origina l rock decaying in place. The ma diameter a nd 6.5 cm . long. It has a negative terial has shifted so little tha t Ill ost of the pi eces quanz crys tal (hole the shape of a quartz crys o f a bro ken geode will be [ound close toge ther. ta l) 9 IIlIn. \,· ide a nd .1.7 cm. lo ng in the cem er. Minerals fOllnd here include agates, jasper, On one side of the nega ti\"C quartz crys tal a nd qllarLZ crystals, a meth ys t, a nd o pa lescent quartz se par;ltecl from it by a thin layer of ch alcedony crys ta ls. T his opalescel1l quartz is a pa le blue are th e impress io ns left by some weathered out color with some specim ens showing a fai n t play ca lcite crys tals. Surrounding the negati\·e quartz o[ colors. The play of colors is caused by in ter crystal and the ca lcite impressions is a no ther laye r o[ chalcedo ll y foll owcd by drmy quartz. na l fl aws, while the o pa lescence is though t La be due to sys tematica ll y arranged inclusions. The remaining single stalactite [rom this lo ca lity is approx im a tely 2 cm. in diameter and Thc fo ur single quartz stalactites and the .J cm. long. I t cO l1la ins an interna l ca\·ity l.5 one sta lactite gro up fo und here a ll seC lll to have cm. in diameter a nd 3.5 cm. lo ng, which is CO I11- forllled in large quartz geodes. From the casts ple tely lined with ca lcite impressions. left, it is obvious that calcitc a lso [a rmed in The one sta lacti te group [rom here is a pale thesc gcodes; howe\·er, it is a II ,,·ea thercd a u t ameth ys t color. It consists of sta lactites between now. The largest of thl' singlc stalactites is 12.5 2 a nd 3 111m . in diamcter a nd from 2 to 3 CI11. Cill. in diameter and 18 Clll. long. It has a hole lo ng. These stalactites are composed almost en 3 cm. in d ia metcr and 17 Clll . lo ng· in the ce n tirely of radia ting druzy quartz. ter. On o ne side o f this hole, the slll ooth faces T he fourth locality, a roadcu t o n the North of a ncga tivc quartz crysta l extend For mos t o f U mpqua Highway near R ock Creek, is also in its leng th. The o ther sidcs are rough. diabase. T he onl y minera ls that h ave been fo und here are quartz and ca lcite. Pho to by 11(i/i/{w/ ./ . J·U.lIef Photo by L. B . Hicks Fi g. 4. Grou p of q uartz stalactites from the largest cavity Fig . 5. Large single q uartz stalactite from the gravel pit at the Rock Creek Quarry. near Rock Creek. B ULLET1N NUMBER 14, S E PTEMBER, 1952 27 The );u'!!est of III duet' (:, nue;; oo D nU~1IDUQng where [he tube W;J S pan /y l!t:aJ(;({ oIl Ii)' thin \lIOU fL 'lalaclil('S fo md he! ''';:11.' ,1I1bom 50 x 30 layer of cha lcedony. x: 15 m,.ill size, Il ronUJDl~G su;.1IlI::nrclliil[e;; 'I.~'rudl O f the lour l o c a lit.i (; .~ d CM:-ribcd, 11 i§ p~~~ilA~ art' ,I 10 5 mm, in dD:uueu~:r ~lInn& ~ UI.nn, Ho , Gul~u((uill((~ ;WI(e _.\\Ifflm lliOJ.lUl1OOll iilnl IUbu.N; ,(~U"W1;ull ;Jj)Jll'lJ.J It(;lIS, 41Inn n'1t.-:lInn;:n.nnn opt:n or nmld hll 'I' be m ::d winJln ~]UU~ '/fmUIil(' I ~dbliirlln lb\:m; l~dhulll ;UIPlpJC ,jUJ ' mOl IbJt ij iiq~nn s; iiH th~'mn\.l nwh,~' ~( ~hlQ !i;1l~I Jl;;tI«(lt ij llrc IChlt q n~~ : ,'~\ in {\~~t~ pNh{\.M~' ~i2~~~~'i,~m_ ltij ll W~iS ,« , n lt rcll~ Itnniis ~'Cm~'{\~ '{\ ·'\V \\, {\~ t~Ht} ~~nrtx.\ ~i:. Q~ ');IjJ\4I(JtkM)~ Xbl· {\ ).\m\l{\r mH, m~ ~qlj It~llrc I(rc~ljltlt'i;!lJl C(~x 'ii ~ Ilk, ~( 0Jth~I' ~I.i\l{ \ nh~\ ~x:m M h~\ -Cjl II is ob vJO m tll at wh tli ('! I' tli ' original sta lac· til ls fo und in two sta lactites and its inability to tiLe wa s 1:11'g't: 01' slII a ll :111( 1 whcth 'l' il was com· explain the lo ng smooth curves in the stalactites pos d ('olllplc tcly o /' ( ' I ' y ~ W l/iI H! qlla l'lI. 0 1' partl y of the one group. or rhaln:doI1 Y, IV ' rIC d '/i "'HI '"1 O il the ph ysical . ACKNOWLEDGEj\'[ENTS ill)(! chemic:" Il awrc oj Ih e s() lutio )) I'rom which I wish to express m y sincere a pprecia tion to i l wa s d 'I'i vcd il li d o n lhe size of th e orihce Mr. Milo E. Godfrey and M r. Everett Teater throllgh wlli 'll Ih e solu tioll 'Ill er ·d . It is quiLe for allowing me to examine their quartz sta lac lik 'I)" how 'v ' I', ill th ' C IS' of the larger stalac tite specimens; to M r. Les li e E. R oberts for help Liles, llt il l addil iOll a l IlI at 'r ial was de pos ilcd o n in identifying rocks a nd obtaining geological tile orig ill :II , informa tion ; a nd to Mr. William J. Foster of The IIntill \\' 'ak ll ·ss 'S () /' Lilis h ypo th esis arc the N ational Speleological Society fo r necessary ils illability 10 ex pl a in the II X LIST OF GROTTOES \Nhere\'er sufficie ll till tcres t in speleologi· trips, carryon research projects or o therwise cal activiL Y exists members of the Natio nal implement the efforts of the parent body. A Speleological Socie ty are cncouraged to form I ist of such regions a nd loca l grottoes, with regio nal orga niza ti ons or loca l "/:,'Tottoes". the names and addresses of persons to contact T hese regions a nd local un its generally select [or information, fo llows: their own offi cers, organ ize a nd conducl fi eld R EG IONS 8. Clevelfwd 18. M e/ropolitan , N . Y. 28. Sierra BellY .-\ . Yoe, Ida V. Sawtell e, E lhelyn Fussell e, I . Nor/heas/ern R egio J/ 28923 , r esLW ood R oad, 1030 83rd St. , 2506 Leavenwon h , R oger C. DonI, Bay Village, Oh io Brookl yn 28, N. Y. Sa n Francisco, Cali f. 23 Linden Ave., 9. Colorado 19. ,\I orgall t OWIl 29. SOIL /h erll California Oneonta, N. Y. J ohn V. Thra ilkill , Eichenmuller, Richard Logan , 2. V i1-gillia R eg io1l J. J. 16 11 Quebec St., P. O. Box 319, ~ 8 01 Virginia St. . Col. R obert P. Carroll , Denver 7. Colo. \(o rgantown, \ V. Va. Sa nta Mo nica, Cali f. 305 L etcher Ave .. 10. COrHl'1l Lexington, Va . 20. X a /ty BllmjJo 30 . Stall/ard R ichard L Kenyon, Clifford :-> . Forman. J r., School of Mineral GR OTTOES 14 Hazel t.. R idlfield Springs, N. Y. Sciences, O nconta. N. Y. 21. X etl' E ngland Stanford , Cali f. I . A t/a n/II II. Dartmouth 3 1. Tarevac \-I olll er Blincoe, 21 Robinson Hall. LeRoy Foote, R .D. '1, T. L. Carr, Box 1052 , H anO\·er. :'oi , H . 202 Taylor St., E mo ry Unive rsity, Ga. I :! . D flk,' \ liddlebury, Conn. Cannelton, Ind. - 2. /iaitilll o re J ack Gilloon . X illall\" Gordo ll 1' . G ravcnhorst. I' h ~ ' si cs Deparlment. " 'ilJiam De" itt II I , 3~. T ri,Colinty 130G Sho re R oad . 1 uke l n i" crsin ', igma .-\ Ipha Ep-i1on, Charles I-I anor, Essex 2 1. i\ld. Durham. :-> . . lale Colle!!c. Pa. ~4 E lm St. , 3. Jios/o J/ 1:1. Uki,s S Ol,thtTII .:Yen· Jerse O neon ta, N. Y. · T ho mas C. lIarr. Rol cn u ti. H w:trd :-> , ' Ioane. 3:\. T iL'in City 1'5,3 DUllst T Il ouSl:, ~I\) .entl'r ~ t .. 181 W ild,,· d .-\''C .. Da" ill S. Gebhard, Call1bridge, i\ lass. l-:Udn,. \\'. \ 'a. l 'pper \ (o ntdair. N. J. 1665 \(ontreal Ave., 'I. Ca.l'('(/ rf (: II. 1\1I1f'I'IJriSf' I ilf'UII 1/1" - -I. Philllddpllia t. Paul 5, Minn. I' etcr 1\ 1. i\IrI.,'II 11 Il , S /~f'lf'olo",.." :-.r :tr\, ]-'. Pcarsall. ~ . 1. Cnil'ersity of T exas 22()(; Cresce llt Ill' iI'c, l:iii Flln SI-. :. 1-6' " 'alnUl 't.. Box 1625, . Scaltl " !!, "'usll, K " nl'll~, K J. I'hibtlclphia 3. Pa. I niversil)' Sta ti on . 5. CII %(' II (lII i(l I. , I, Ull W Austin, Texas I illsb llrgll Stella ]I, I' Ie l'('t, ; 1\ " la ' k~\l ll , 35. J' . P . [. Nt'lson St" Ill)\ 'II \. lUl, ' R (lllt'rt ])""11 . 2~) R.n.' Shallllo ll Rd., Sam i\f. King, Ca7.c novlll , N , y , 11 1I 1' lhll ' R ( HI. Box 49H Va. Tech . Sta., \'(.,.01l :1. l'a. (i. Ch (II'/CS /(H I 1':Qllls\'iII e, l "tI, Blacksburg, Va. Sa I'll It f, l c(;l'in', 11\ , I Ult'll Ht'IIs:wltu',. 36. Washington, D . C. 70ti FOl'I'st '(reiI', \)omlhy ~1. NClI'l'u llg. I\tlll'ard J. Sto fk a . E laine Higgins. S(lilih e lHi ri es loll, \\" " ii, tl1 ~1 ' o\\,n c\ \'c .. No. (i PC(lp les Dr. E. . 1233 37 lh St. , N.W., R l'lldael Farms, . 7. C/IIII'/OIl N 'ill" lo\\'n e ll), \ 0\1' I "Vashington , D. C . Tro y. N. Y. Duvlll g, e llmht1rl{\l\(\. Ii, /,fwi 1~lfll 37. W yth eville . 1.1II lI'(lod 11 0 \1 , I-lOll'\. \1. ~1. I' t U)'joll ll , J r.. :17, UichlllOll c/ Elizahelh Sabalinos, 1\11 :>: !17, 110\ ,107, Betty Loyd , 102 Faculty St., <:01011 111 1 n ~ nr h , 'il, t ~ IH:hhur!\ , \ 'n, R.D. 2, WaYll cs horo. Va. l3!a cksburg, Va. 11 11 , Sa lt /,flit f', Dr. Will . R. lliln ilhl) , 1. ' \ \111 , \ \t~" Sil lt I. :\ k.: Cit y. I tah . 29 The Origin of the Palettes, Lehman Caves National Monument, Baker, Nevada By CHARLES J. KUNDERT . M.ining Geologist, Calif01'l7ia State D i7 1/'s i()17 of Mines PIi()/ os il y N II/ iol/al Park Se rv ice The lI17I1S/wl and mUlel' striking cave fonl/atiol/s hnowl/ as jHllelles a.jJPm· ent1y exist, in quantily at least, in only two !!I1 mun localities, i.e., in Gmnd Caven7S at Groil-o es, Virginia, and at L eit man Caves N ational Nl o'l7um ent at Ba!, el', Ne7la da. The author of this article, after an extensive study of lit e Nevada palette for117ations, jJresents It erewith a scl/O/rl1'ly !;YPotlt esis to explain their origin. Lehman Ca\'es National Monument is 10· thickness from \4 inch to approximately cated on the eastern fl ank of "Vheeler Peak inch. They arc usuall y tilted at an angle, and (Elev. 13,060 feet, second highest mounta in in are frequently fasteneel to the wall. Some of the Nevada) in the Snake R ange of eastern ce ntrai palettes arc completely free from the surround evada near the Utah border. The caves arc in ing rock and stand away from the floor by eastward dipping middle Cambrian limes tone. means of a dripstone base. Later dripstone COIll U nderlying the limes tone are well bedded mon ly obscures a portion of the palette, often quartzites of lower Cambrian and perhaps pre tha t part :lttachecl to the wall rock. Cambrian age. Granite of unknown age has in T he palettes a ppear to be dripstone fillings truded the sed iments along the limestone- a long joints with lhe wall rock later being dis solved away lca\'ing the palette jutting forth. In support of this theory of development along joint planes, it wi ll be demonstrated that the palettes do exhibit continuity with the joint pattern. E w !Ell MIOOLE CflMBlZlflN L'M£STVN£ The accompanying m ap locates approxi EJ 61CIINI TE ~ L OWER! CAMBlZlflN QUfllZTZI TE matel y 215 joints and palettes. It is divided into convenient units which wi ll be dealt with in Fig. I . Sketch section throug h Wheeler Peak. dividuall y. Only joims with at least two feet of exposed length were mapped . T his size limita quartzite contact. The last datable geologic lion was necessary because of locally abundant even t took place c1uri ng the Pleistocene when joints in highly shattered areas where the occur glaciers cut deeply into the flanks of "Vheeler ance of an un(ractured piece of li mes tone more Peak. Magnifi cent cirques and large U-shaped than a few inches across was a rarity. Other va liCys are primary evidences of past glaciation. areas of counlry rock, measured in feet, were T he excessive moisture conditions of the Pl eis relative ly free from fra ctures. In the fo llowing tocene probably initiated the cavern develop· tabulation of joints and palettes, the latter are menL foll owed by a letter. Pa lettes attached to or in Lehman Caves National Monumen t is note close proximity with highl y fractured country worthy (or the palette type (ormation which, to rock are succeeded by a capital F. Palettes with the author's knowledge, is unique except [or a obscured country rock areas are foll owed by a much larger simi lar type fOllnd in the Grand capital D to indica te a dripstone cover. In each Caverns at Grottoes, Virginia. T he palettes are unit the joints and palettes are loosely grouped most commonly circular in shape, range in di according to their attitudes (strike fo ll owed by ameter from 6 inches to 5 [eet, and va ry in the dip if avai lable). 30 NATIONAL SPE LEOLOGICAL SOCIETY , ,, N , " " .. , , ' \ , ", : " , , PALETTE fiNO JOINT PATTEI?N ~ IN LEHMI'IN CfM:' ------Crn::clion pnd djO 01'1""~/k -- /);=Ii"" pnd dip o(join ls " "- .. _ ,,,- ... Oulkne OrQ:7r'o!' ~ IJ(J VI:dp"~J til VA//J S C"' I". L I 'NCH' 40 F~L T Fi g. 2. Map showing location of approxi mately 215 ioints and pa lettes in Lehman C ave. TABU L.-\ T JON OF J OINT S :\ ND P:\. LETTES Unit 1- U nit 2- N72W 60S D NS7E N67W 43N 0J63E N71W 30E D NS7E N69W 92N N63E :jSN D N6S\'V 66N D EW NG3W N69E N65W 425 D EW N70E NS7E N7SW N60E NSOE 29N D N88vV 49S F N65E -tSN F N7SE N2W N89\ I\T I5N F ~ 85 E N 12\ I\r NS F N 75E N5W N78E 73S F N IOE steep\'" F N75E N6W 70E N IOE 45E F ~2 \v N76E NS D NS\\ SOW F NS2E 6-l-N N IOW NS ? F N 15E 55 E F NS2E NS ?E F N83W 55 01 D NS3E NS 33E F NS3W N22\\ NS IE NS 33E F NSOW 5SN D N-IOW N75\V N I E N7SW G3N D 1\'S2\\1 N74W U ni L 3- N58E NSSW ' 30W 22N N5SE N4SW ?S NSG\\ N35W N5()W ·-ION D NS7\V N:l5W 52N N27W NSSW 10N D NS5W N 30W l\ 35 \\' N45W N88E N-I- l\\ -l-2N D N87W NSSE 'J7N F B ULLET1N N UMBE R 14, SEPTEM BER) 1952 N67E 68S F NS EW N82,,,r N70E N5E 56W N89W 28N D N7 1E Unit 7- N85W N62E N8'lW NI IW N88W N55E 67S F N9W N89W N50E 50S F Unit 5- N86W N45E 50S F N88E N22W N80W N83W N30W N25W N87W N7W N25W HV N68'''' NS F N60W I\'SOW N8W S8E F N85W Unit S- N4W N35E 49S F N48E N IO\'" N20W N48E N IOW Unit 4- Nl2W N48E N IOW N30W N5 1E N3W N25W 52N N5W N28W N68E N61E N26W 46N F Unil 6- N60E N65E N23W 41N F N77W 52N N7 1E N24W 48S N82W N I8W N20W N7SW N82W N ISW N87W N8 1W N I2W NG /~E N85W N85W Nl3W N68E N87W N2 1W N70E N I7E N I7W Nb2E N5E N70E N80E N'lSW NoH. !J2N N I2W N82E N46'·" 28N D N65E N I5W N46W 23N F N I7W N24E N55W 35N D EW N20W 1'\ 42' '\' N44W N85E N86E N62E Unit 9- N24E 53E D N87E N65E N83E N80E 5'JS N7 1E N86E N23W N60E N8 1E N28W N65W 45N D N70E N86E N25W 33N F N60W N65E N86E N57W F N80E N42W N75E N80E N54W NSOE N88E N52' ''' 35S F N75E N86E N43W 51S F N86E N8SE NS7E N65W N86E N62W , 'J\, Fig. 3. Vrews of palettes. with later deposits of dripsto ne. 32 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCI ETY An examinati on 0 [. the ma p a nd a study of the grouped d ata demonstrates an accordance b etween the palettes and joints except perhaps for Unit 2. T he discrepancy in U nit 2 is prob C;1\'es Illa y be due to paucity o f shattered areas Fig . 5. The Parachute in Lehman C ave ; a beautif ul examp le o f coun try rock. o f a palette stand ing free fro m the wall. B UL LETI N N U MBE R 14, S E I'TE1\.fBE R) ] 952 The Caves of Malta By T . R. SHAW A Il lill%s by the out hOI" Royal Navy Unlike 'Cibmltl/1" and Majorca, 111alta cmmot be l'egal'ded as one of the main cave m'eas of the Meditenmlea"/1, It does have a speleological histor)" how ever, in which ston:es associating its caves with. the myth of the CyciojJS "and of the nymph Calypso are intermingled with the fact of the shipwreck on that Island of the Apostle Paul. The author ably describes a 17l11nber of the caves loco ted on both the island of II·lalta and its !!:d joining island of COlO, some of which were supposedl·y used by all three of the above mentioned jJC1"Sonages. Malta cannot be regarded as one of the main Knights of l'vfalta, Louis de Boisgelin de Kerdu. cave areas ot the Mediterranean, to the same This book, "Ancient and Modern Malta", was extent as Gibraltar and Majorca. Nevertheless followed in 1840 by Miege's " Histoire de Malte" there are a number of caves in the island; fifteen which contained considerably more information can still be located definitely, and it appears than its ,predecessors. Since that date numerous fj-om the older books that at one , time as many guide-books and small histories have appeared, as_ thirty-eight were known. A few of these are but they contain very little that had not been ~nown to have been quarried away; others may wri tten before. have collapsed. and it is possible that different In general the caves are small by comparison writers may have described individual caves un with European or American standards, and to der several names. some' extent this can be attributed to the water The caves were first mentioned in 1647 by less state of the island. Between ~Iay and Sep F. F. Abela in his book "Della Descrittione di tember no rain falls at all. and in winter the Malta". No particular cave is named but the water sinks almost immediately into the porous author speaks of the discovery in the hollows limes tone. At the present time no permanent and fissures of tl1 e rock of enormous bone·s. rivers or streams ex ist, though the formation of ~hich were regarded at that time as remains ot the gorge-like valleys which ·intersect the island the Cyclops, an al1£:icnt 'race of giants supposed in all directions is often attributed to .a period formerly to have lived in Sicily: "But lastly of greater rainfall in the past. The caves them what further tes timony can we desire of the se lves appear mostly to have been formed by habitation here of the Cyclops, without the need phreatic action when the land lay very much of borrowing from the ancient scriptures, in lower relative to the water table. volved in the obscurity of time, than that given us by the gigantic bones found in Malta, and their hollow burial-places cut in. the living rock ..." The first book to con tai n a gen~ral accou n t of several of the caves was written more than a hundred years latcr by G. F. Abela. and pub lished as two (olio volumes in 1772, under the title of "Malta Illustrata". It includes descrip tions of twelve caves, but several of them are ,small sea-caves and of very little interest. Then in 1804 several cave references appear ed in a history written in English by one of the Fig. I. Ghar Hassan. Malta ; Ea st Chamber. 34 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY MALTA & GOZO o 2 3 4 6 I ! GEOG . MILES HASSAN ' S CAVE 2 GHAR DALAM 3 WIED HANZIR CNE 4 ST . PAUL'S GROTTO 5 CALYPSO ' S CAVE 6 TA NINU CAVE 7 XERRI ' S CAVE 8 GHAR IX - XIEH HASSAN'S CAVE MALTA .------.J4~~ 5 ' 10'~~ 10' \ . FEET 20 40 60 80 100 o, , " , SURVEY BY T . R .SHAW 1950 . 5 ' FIGURES DENOTE ROOF HEIG HTS B ULLETI N NUl\JIIER 14, SEPTEMBER) 1952 35 extends another passage nearly parallel to the fi rst and interconnected with it in several places_ Beyond the crossroads the entrance tunnel narrows considerably, then tur·ns righ t into a r ift passage as far as the fin al chamber. A small circular tube continues for some 16 fee t and then that too closes. Evidence of phreati c solution is clear ali through the cave. Maximum 'w idth occurs every where at the principal bedding plane which per sists throughout the whole cave, usuall y a foot or so abo\'e the fl oor. Most of the joint planes are open [or some distance above th.e passages, and in Jll any places semi-circul ar channels ca n be seen meandering across the otherwise fl at roof. One of these roof channels in the chamber by the east entrance is shown in fi g. 2. T he name Hassan's Cave is derived from, the legend th at the cave was used as a refuge by an Arab o f tha t name when his countrymen were ex pell ed froJll the island. A small circular chamber has bee n excavated by hand near the eastern en trance and is shown as 'H assan's actual dwelling. H e is sa id to have ke pt a small boat at the root of the cliffs, a hund red odd feet be Fig, 2, Ghar Ha ssan. Malta; Roof channel in East C hambe r. ' low, and his onl y means of reaching it w,is by swarming up and d ow n the face on a vertica l T he largest cave in Malta is Hassan's Cavc rope. or, as the nati\'es call it, "Ghar H assa n" CGhar' No prehistoric bones have been recorded being the ~ r a lt ese word fo r a cave). T he en t [rom Hassan's Cave, but about 1865 several trial rance li es in a high sea-cl iff of Oligocene coral trenches were dug by Lei th Adams, a zoologist line limestone ncar the sou th-cast corner of the who was sen 'ing as a doctor with the garrison. island, a f'c w hu ndrecl ya rds [rom the R oyal H e te ll s an amLi sing story of the Maltese peoplc Naval Air Station at H al Far. T he level of thc who Ll sed to stand wa tching the excavati ons and cave is o\'er a hundred [ce t above the sea, and trying to IlI ake a LI t their purpose. One after it is rcached from thc ground above by a ledge noon he surreptitiously dro'ppecl a Spanish d ol along thc cl iff face . T here arc in fact two other lar on the shovelful of earth, and next moment en trances further east along the samc cliff, b ut they are llu'itc in accessible from ou ts ide and onc has becn rail ed off fo r safety by the authorities. T he total passage length amoun ts to 127 0 rec t, the genera l sha pc o( th e cave, being a rcctangul ar network as shown in the ac com pan ying pl an. A broad passagc cx tends from the ma i n cn tra nce a nel a (tcr a few yards it is crossed by another at righ t anglcs. To the right thc tunnel runs parallel to the cl iff face and cmerges c\'clltuall y, at the second and third en tranccs. By the larger or these there is a low chamber some 40 fee t by 30 [cel, lit entirely by day ligh t (scc fi g. I). and fr om the back th ere Fig, 3. Ghar H assan. Malta; Excavating floor sectio ns. 36 NATIONAL S PELEO-LOGICAL SOCIET Y it lay with the soil on the heap. He picked it up earthed there. This cave also is situated in the quite casually and put it in his pocket, and soon south·eastern corner of the island, 600 yards the spectators, whispering to each other, walked from Birzebuggia and the shores of ~Iarsa Xlok. off. Next day when Leith Adams returned, he The entrance has been gated by the government found that not only had his own trench been Museum Department, which has built a house continued down a further four feet, but that above to contain some of the reli cs and provides several other excellent floor sections had been a guide to show visitors round the cave. made by them in the hope of finding '!laney! The first 250 feet consists of a straight pas· Ghar Hassan is the only cave in 1\IIalta in sage at right angles to the valley outside, some which I was able to find bats. :\ number of 20 feet w.ide and varying in height from 12 to them used to frequent an inaccessible fissure not 27 feet. It is in this section that the remains far from the main entrance, and though they have been discovered and the Hoor consists of a used to squeak lustily at every approach I could mass of trenches of different depths running in· never get close enough to identify them. In an· to each other and flanked by complele sections other part of the cave, however, I handled a of fill ieft as controls. At one point is a strange number of Myotis myotis (Bechstein)-the bat mushroom-like stalagmite whose upper half Fi g. 4. Ghar Dalam, Ma lta ; showing e xc avations for bones. referred to by Casteret as a Murin-and on one continued to increase in size after the bottom wall were sets of quintuple scratches where their wa s protected by the earth. claws had perhaps slipped in their attempts to The bone deposits were first noticed in alight. 1865, but the first large scale excavations were Another of the larger caves, Ghar Dalam, is not made until 1892 (Cooke, 1894). More work frequently mentioned in the literature, on ac was done during the first ,,,TorId 'Nar and in count of the enormous masses of prehistoric an several of the succeeding years, anti in 1917 CO \1- imal bones and pottery that have been un- siderable interest was aroused by the discovery BULLETIN NUMBER 14, SEPTEMBER) 1952 of 'I"h al were thought to be two molar teeth of ~ e anderthal Man. No o ther human rem ains ea rlier than the Neolithic period have e\'er been found in the islands, and the identifica ti on of these tee th has not been universa ll y accepted. Beyond the oss iferous section of the cave, the passages become much smaller a nd a nUlll· ber of narrow tunnels branch off in different directi ons. The continuation of the main ent rance passage IS almost blocked by a line of im mense boulders fallen fr om the roor, but it is possible to scramble over these and cl own the other side to a low bedding chamber whose roof Fig. 5. Wied Hanzi r Cave , Malta; Main Chamber showing is intersected by some mea ndering roof chan ribs and incised star. nels, like miniature editions of those in Has· sa n's Cave. large boulder j.ust outside the cave and half On the opposite side of the va lley and in bl ocking the entrance indica ted that it was in line with Ghar Dalam is a wide cave entrance, habited at one time by prehistoric man. T he but the passage beyond is totall y blocked with decorati\'e ribs and other markings on the walls earth. It has been suggested that the two caves he thought were added later when primitive were formed as a continuous passage benea th Christians used the ca \'e as a church, One of the water tabl e at a time before the valley bot these wall m arkings ca n be seen in the photo tom reached its present level or perhaps before graph (fig, 5.) , a fi ve- pointed star incised on one it existed a t aIL Then as the channel was cut of the ribs; and near the entrance there are a ting downwards it eventually broke through the large numh ( ~ r or small crosses cut similarly 1TI top of the ca ve passage which then acted as a the rock. coll ector for all the bones and rubbish being Another of the more intcres tirig caves in swept down by the river. i\falta is completely artificial-St. Paul's Grotto, T he little cave at the juncti on of "Vied where the Apostle is sa id to have lived for three H anzir and W ied il .Kebir, in the centre of Ill onths aft er hi s shipwreck on the island. A l'Vlalta , is \'ery different to the tw o preceedin;; church has becn built over the grotto, in Cittit ones. It is quite small , not more than 76 fee t Vecchia, and a statue in white marble placed in long, and at leas t part of it has been excavated thc ca ve it se lf. T he rock of the wa lls is a soft by hand in the soft rock. The entrance lies it linl cs tone and the mirawlous l)r0l;erty has been few feet above the va ll ey bottom and has been attributed to it of growing again wherever the shaped illlo a rectangular doorway 7 fee t wide stOllC is cut away ..- \nd as this new rock was sup by S feet high. Inside, it opens into a chamber poseel to be supplied by St. Paul it was in great 48 leet by· 27. tt is highest in the ce ntre where demand, bein6" valued as a cure for fevers and a fi ss ure in the roof appears to be natural, but all kinds of snake- bite. At one time this stone, tL1e walls have been cut back artifi ciall y, and kn own as "pietra dell a grazia", used to be se nt both sides have bee n decorated by vertica l ribs O LIl no t onl y all over Euroj)e but as far as I-ndia a little less than a foot wide and se parated by and the East. recesses of about the sa me size. A t the farther Also in and arouncl C itt ~ l Vecchia there are end of the chamber the pick marks on the walls se\'e ral series of catacombs, but they arc otitside ccase and a na tural passage con tinlles for 28 the scope o r this article. feet before being completely blocked b y a T he smaller ot the Maltese Isl ands is called boulder choke. Cozo and li es about four miles to the north-west I have not been able to find any reli abl e of Malta itself. It contains several small caves description of the cave, but a short article by in the Miocene cor alline limes tone, one of great the R ev . .J. Farrugia a ppea red a few years ago a ntiquity and the others discovered within the in the Times of Malta. He supposed that the last ce ntury. 38 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Overlooking . Ramla Bay on the north coast The most interesting forma ti on and one of Gozo is Calypso's Cave. It is reputed to be which has still not been sa tisfa ctorily explaill ed, the very same cave as was occupied by the is a group of thin-walled ca lcite tubes formed nymph Calypso in the fifth book of Homer's round hanging roots. In so me o[ these the or Odyssey. The entrance is low, however, and not ig'inal roots have disa ppeared completely, and very easy of access, and the interior of the cave in others there remains onl y a decayed fibrous consists of a series of low crawlways between substance. In secti on these formati ons are not shattered chambers fl oored with angular fr ag. simple tubes, as might be expected, nor do they ments of rock. It certai nl y ca nnot be imagined reseJll ble a woody skeleton ; bu t their structure as the home of a self- respecting nymph, al is in fact \'ery complex. In the typical case it though several of the early writers, who h ad consists of two conce ntric shel ls of ca lcite joined possibl y never visi ted the place, repeated the together on one side either by a single partition legend without comment. Sir ' Valter Scott, who or by another tube; \I'hile in other specimens passed near the cave on his way to Malta shortly there are several internal tub(:s, irregularly ar before his death, was by no means compliment· ra nged within an outer shell. ary when he described it in his diary. An interes ting legend is associated with (\1'0 Two of the Gozo caves are found within a small shelter ca\'es overlooking \'Vied Mgarr ix few hundred fe et of each other in the village of X ini in the so uth-eastern corner of GolO_ It i Xaghra, and both were broken into accidentally near th is spot that the first se ttlcrs in Cow are when the vill agers were sinking well s. reputed to ha\'e li\'ed, and their chief is sa id to T he first, discovered in 1888, is known as the ha\'e administered justi ce in an open shelter Ta N inu Cave [rom the local name of the prop ca\'c ca ll ed Ghar ix-Xieh. A few ya rds away is erty, and lies a li ttle to the west of the parish another cave, El H abs, now partly walled up church. The cave co nsists of onl y two chambers and used for housing goats, where the pt:isoners reached by a fli ght of steps from the ya rd above, are su pposed to have been kept. but it is well furnished with stalactites. The Most of these caves in Malta and Gozo have roof is studded with straws, many of them now been described recently in "Cave Science", the broken, and in pl aces it is joined to the I-I oor journal of the British Speleologica l Associati on. by stalagmite columns severa l inches thick. T hese references are gi\'en at the end of this The other cave in Xaghra is call ed X erri's article together wi th a short selection from the Cave. It was discovered in 1924, and the name bibliography of the Maltese caves. of the cave is now displayed over the door of the owner's house. A set of regulations is hung Thcre is still opportunity for more work inside the building, including one which [or· underground in i\{a lta, and particularly in the bids the visitor 'to damage the inside of the lesser known island of COlO. Crotto' with the optimisti c requ irement that he must 'make good any damage done'. SELECTED BIBLIOGR AP HY AIIELA , F. F. ( 16'17): Dclla D escriuione di \falla ; Fol., The cave itse ][ is some 30 fee t below ground M a I ta. a nd is reached by a spiral stone staircase. It con AIIELA, G. F . (1772, SO): \l a lla IlIuSlra la, on 'ero d escri sists of a succession of passages about six feet zio ne di \falla; 2 vols .. fol. , \I a lla. ADA~IS, A. L. (IS70): NOlCS of a Natura lisl in the N ile high arranged at right angles. At one point a Valley and " fa lla; Svo ., Edinbu rgh. low llInnel branches out from haHwa y u p the BO ISGI' LI N DE KERIl U. P. L. \1. Ill' (I SO-I): Ancienl and wall and extends for 15 feet into the side of a Modern \Ia lla; 2 \lois. , 'Ito., LOlldOIl. COOKE , .T . H. (lS9-1): The Hal' Dala m Cavcrn M alta; well , presumably the well from which the cave Proc. R oy. Soc., LIV, I S9-I, pp. 27-1-2S!I. was discovered. The calcite formations occur in i\f IEr.E (lS-IO): Hislo ire de i\lallc; -I vols., Svo., Paris. separate groups in this cave, the largest being 1\ [I'RRAY , " I. .-\ . alld T II O\lI'SON, G. C. (1923-5): Excav a t the end farthest fr0 111 the en trance stairway :llio ns in Malta, Parts I &: II; -Ito. London. SIIA II' . T . R. ( 1950): H assan 's Cavc, i\ (alla; Cave Science, a fin e stalagmite flow and a number of stalac II , 13, 1950, pp. 19 1-3. tites and curtains, man)' of which wi ll ring SHAll', T. R . (195 l a): G har Dalam, i\(alla; Cave Scic nce. when struck. There are also a small number of II , 15, 195 1, pp. 30-1- 8. SHAW, T. R . ( 19:; l b): Ca\'es of Gozo; Cave Science, II. h elicti tes . Hi, 195 1, pp. 339-3-17. BULLETIN NUMBER 14, SEPTEMBER) 1952 39 The Ku h -I Sh ·uh Ca v e .s By JOHN H. D. HOOPER A II Ilh% s II)' /h e all thor This fascinating account of a v isit to some little- known caves situated in a gorge of the Kanm Rive1' in southern Persia is rejJlete with history, both geologic and hwnal1, though not too much is knOWl1 of the latter. The caves d esC1"i bed herein, once inhabited, lie along a lW1TOW ledge, in one place only 12 inches wide, which 1"1I11S across the fa ce of jJrecijJitous cliffs at a height of 1200 feet ab01le the river! T he Karun river, rising amongst the rugged Zagros mOllntains of southern Persia, careers through many spectacular gorges before it lea"es the hills behind and fl ows across ISO miles of desert to the Persi an Gulf. One sllch gorge lies 10 miles to the northeast of Masjid-i Su laiman, ,the once busy town that formed the centre of the extensive oil fields recently oper :t tecl by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. In this gorge, the Karun, perhaps 200 fe et wide in sum mer, Hows between two great congl?merate mas sifs, each roughly 3000 fe et high, known as the Kuh-i-Jariak and the Kuh-i-Shuh, the latter forming the northern wall. Their cliffs, 'which rise in precipitous steps on either side to a height of 1500 fe et above the river are complete ly un scalable for many miles, although access ca n be occasionally gained to ro"ck y terraces where narrow beds or" sandstone have been ex posed. Along these terraces there are small caves and often springs of fresh water, trapped by the impervious sa ndstonc. Probably the most inter es ting-and certainly the most se nsational-are the Kuh-i-Shuh Caves, which lie along a pre carious ledgc, 1200 fcet above the river. These Fi g. I. G eneral view of t he Kuh-I-Sh uh c ave le d ge. The sheer caves are too f,ll- from civilisation to be reached drop below this le dge is approximately 450 feet and the in the summer when the sun temperature a t Karun River is 750 feet lowe r stilll The dark fa ce o n the left marks t he scene of an e no rmous rock fal l. tains 160°F and t,he rocks are too hot to be touched with the bare hand, but in the cooler i-Sulaiman and on the second occasion we were we~ th e r of the late autumn, th e trip although joincd by Mr. R. L. Cowley, also of that town. arduous becomes poss ible. T he caves bear cl ear Our starting point was Godar Landar, a traces of human habitation, but even now it is small vi ll age by th ~ Karun, where the motor doubtful if they havc been visited by more than road cnds at a pumping station which supplies a score of Europeans. During 1949, I was temp water to the oi l fi elds. ' Ve crossed the river at oraril y sta tioncd in Masjid-i-Sulaiman and in a nearby ferry, this being a raft, some 6 feet NO"cmber of that year I was able to make two square, made from thin poles and supported on trips to thcse caves: bmh ex peditions were in inflated goatskins-at first sight a very flimsy the comp:Iny of Mr. T. St. John Eve, of l\IIasjid- craft on which to entrust oneself to the fast- 40 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY mov ing waters. Thc Lw O or three passc ngcrs lcads dircctly to the Gl\·e ledge. " 'e h owe\·er crouch as bcs t they e ll1 on the wet poles a nd prderred Lo approach by a longer but ra ther thc [crryma n, knecling a t Lh e '[ront', scoops thc less precipi tous routc which took us O\'er thc waLcr towards himsclt WiLh a spade·like paddle, top o[ th e moun tain and in to the gull y frolll m aking skiltul usc o[ back cddies LO prevent the abO\·e. ]n order to b ypass the cl iffs "'hich fo rm raft from being swept too far downstrcam. such a n impenctrable southern facade to Kuh The Kuh-i-S huh Caves lie somc [our milcs i-S huh. wc had to asce nd a sidc yall ey, fo ll ow upstrcam [rom Godar Landar and ca n, in [act, ing a small ri\'cr- thc .-\b-i-:\ndakah- until " 'e be rcached by skirting along thc basc o[ the reach cd a pass giying access to the more gentle cliffs o[ Kuh-i-S huh and th en climbing for ncar northern slo pcs o[ th e mou ntain. To e n ter this ly 1000 fee t through a se nsa ti onal gul ly which \"it! Icy ho\\"C \"C r \\·c "'erc forced to cl i III b for o MILE I N ANDAKAH PLATEAU .------.. .ROUTE TAKEN Fig. 2. Map show ing location of the Kuh- I-Shuh Caves in sout he rn Persi~ . B U LLETI N NUMBER 14, S EPTEl\fBE R) J 952 4 1 Fig. 3. R. L. C owley sta rts the return jou rney across the narrowes t section of the Kuh-I-Sh uh cave le dge. Thi s trave rse is 12 fee t long, but it is we ll provid ed with secu re handhol d s. 42 NATIONAL S P ELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY nearly 1200 (eet up a steep scarp o[ conglomer groves of Lam arisk tha t bordereq the river. VV e a te forming the southern end o[ an intervening . now left Lh e path and after crossing th e ri ver by mountain ridge known as the Kuh-i-Landar. a line of unstabl e stepping stones, we made a T his climb began, about a mile beyond the two mile ascent of the grassy northern slopes of ferry crossing, as a well-defin ed zi gzag track and Kuh-i-Shuh-slopes far less forbidding than the e nded with a succession o[ hard scrambles up cliffs that overhung the Karun and even par long rock faces where hands were as important tially covered 'with oak trees. Some o( these as feet. The crest o[ Kuh-i-Landar was broken trees were as high as 30 fe et-an unusual sight by a deer) cleft, nea rl y 100 fee t high and barely in such a barren district where trees of any size 15 fee t wide at' its mouth. This was known as were a rarity. This species (Quercus aegiiojJs ) "The Funnel" and inside, a dark cave and a produces bullet-s haped acorns, 2 to 3 inches narrow chimney brought us out on a terrace a L long, from which the Bakhtiari tribesmen pre Lh e top of the cliff. Beyond lay a broad , wind pare a fl our and a rather unpalatable bread in ing track which continued up the Andakah va l ti mes of crop fa ilure. ley. The rocks co mpos ing this stony paLh were The summit of Kuh-i-Shuh was a broad and polished and shiny [rom the passage o[ count stony plateau, gashed by numerous characteris less pairs of sa nda ls, as it was one of the ancient tic stream defiles "'hich began in gentle fash ion Bakhtiari highways to the mountains where Lh e bUL soon deepened and gained sheer and un tribesmen had their summer quarters. As we broken wall s, several hundred feet high. These foll owecl its si n uous, ever-clim bing course we ravines all looked "ery much ali ke on that of Len had the friendl y co mpany o[ small groups fealUrcl ess landsca pe and our problem " 'as to of these tribesmen, or had La step aside La give select the one which " 'ould take us do\l"n to the way to a cara,'an of hea"ily laden mules or a Kuh-i-Shuh ca ,'e ledge. Fortunately, 'I" e chose fl ock of obstreperous goats. well and after a mile or two of Ledious scramb Giant boulclers o[ ye ll ow conglomerate clung ling along a rudimentary track we came in sight to the mountainside and wild almond bushes of the Karun gorge. The high crags which a nd an occasional "Ka l-Kang" tree lent a wel hemmed us in merged into the wa ll s of the come Lau ch of greenery to the otherwise arid gorge a nd the dry SLream bed on our left scene. The latter tree (Pislacia khinjllk) had dropped into an ever-deepening gully that dis shiny resinous leaves and big clusters of orange apFeared behind frightening cliffs fa lling awaY' ye ll ow berries . One hundred feet below on our to the ri" er, far below. Our Lrack, skirting the . right, the Andakah ri,'er tumbled through a very edge o( these cl iffs, ended at a shelving success ion of crys tal-gree n pools and beyond, the terrace of smooth reick, 50 feet wide, that was sheer crags o[ Kuh-i-Shuh towered high over panly roofed over by an enormous archway, 100 head, Lheir jagged skyline cl ear-cut against ' a fe et high and ~OO feet long-pres umably the re dazz ling blue sky. The river looked very invit sult of some ca taclysmic rock fall. A tiny spring ing', but its waters were laden with gypsum and seeiJed OUL from the greenery at the base of this undrinkable. However, thirty minutes walk arch and tri ckl ed down to an artificial trough, from the top o[ "The Funnel" there was a roughly 3 feet square. As we res ted here, grea t spring beside the path, a curtain of cl ear but eagles soared effortlessly backwards and for tepid water fl owing o,'er the sun-baked rock \\'a rds on Iy a score of feet a wa y from li S, bu t [rom some hidden outlet in a tangle o[ ferns " 'ith nearl y 1200 feet of empty space beneath and vines above. ' I\fe fill e'd our water bottles their outstretched wings. here as this was the lasL so urce o[ drinking The Lerrace fin all y dwindled to a shelf about wa ter until the caves were reached. 6 fee L "'ide, with the rock above overhang ing to A[ter plodding uphill [or a further ha lf an [orlll a low haJ[-llInnel and this led to the m ain hour, we reached the hea d o[ the valley: here, ca,'e ledge. On m y fir sL yi sit, I explored it alone, the path fl attened and the ravine billowed out for my companion preferred to save hi s breaLh into the Andakah Pl a teau-a blea k expanse, [or the three and a half hour return journey: many miles across, where thinly covered hum instead, he stayed ta lking to some BakhLiari no mocks of gypsum wci"e broken only by the dense m ads who had assured li S that there was no BULLETIN NUMBER H, SEPTEMBE R) 1952 43 possible route ~ lon g th e cliff [ace and who were golden but the nver itself and the cliffs of the duly impressed when ' I walked along the ledge Kuh-i-Jariak on the far side of the gorge were without difficulty and still more impressed when dimmed by misty, blue-grey shadows. my rea ppearance, forty minutes later, put an Presently the terraces and boulder piles end to their gloomy forebodings as to my prob merged to form a single rocky platform, smooth able fate. and level. Near this point a low arch in the ver For the first few hundred fe et the ledge con tical crags on my r ight lec!' into a large, dark sisted o[ a series of broken, irregular terraces chamber, rougl11y 40 feet in diameter .. T he flat which, although narrow, co uld be traversed I" oof, 8 feet high, was blackened by smoke and with confidence as the immedi ate drop was only the fl oor was littered with goat dung, for this a matter of 10 feet or so and hence the feeling cave is still used by present day tribesmen. It of exposure was slight. Amongst the gTeat appears, however, that they do not venture far wedged boulders on m y right there were a few ther along the ledge which, beyond this cave~ small chambers and I found tha t their dark narrowed to six feet a nd less. O verhead, the archways provided effective frames through rock overhung as an almos t con tinuous roof, so which to view the gorge. Particularl y fin e was low that I often h ad to stoop. 'Walking shirtless the vista upstream wi th the pale blue wa ters of . beca use of the hot su n, I suddenl y felt a vicious the river, broken at interva ls by the white lI ecks stab in 'lllY shoulder and fo und that I had been of rapids and cascades, tapering away ' into the SLUn g by a hornet-an unprovo ked assault distance until a bend in the towering cliffs hid . which almost discouraged me from penetra ting it [rom my sigh t. In the afternoon I ight.. the any farther. T he continuing section moreover grea t precipices of Kuh-i-Shuh were taw ny allli was a place where- especiall y 'wh en alone- Fig . 4. One of the a rtific ial caves. showing the pi llars hew n from the living roc k. Th e adze marks show c lea rl y on the p ill ars and wa lls. The author provid es the scale-and consid e rs that the mo rose ex pression must. be due to the fact that he had bee n st ung o n the back by a horne t only a few min utes previously I . Note the sh oes-the Pe rsia n cloth- soled 'Giveh' whi ch give an excellent grip on a lmost any rock. 44 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Fig, 5, The a utho r, hair awry, po ses by a c ave e nt ranc e wh ile a d el a ye d -a ction d e vice o n his came ra sh uiter takes the p icture , Thi s photogra p h shows the ro ugh, pockma rke d conglo me rate overly in g the be d s 0' solter rock (c a lc areous sand sto ne) in whi c h t he ca ve s are l ormed , Th e base 01 the ledge is co~ g lo me r ate again and a large bould e r 01 t he sa me rock sta nds at the right, every possible encouragemelll ,,'as needcd , H cre. nawre of the c1ifrs beneath ! Fortuna tely there beneath a jutling fig' tree, the rcassuring Ic\'cJ· was an excell ent' line of ha nd holds a nd I soon ness of the terrace ga\'c placc to a hold-less stcpped of[ onto a widc and grassy terrace which slope, perhaps 15 feet across a nd barel y -, [ect sen 'cd a succcss ion of small caves, The mos t widc, where the rock funnelled in\'itingly dml'l1' striking was the first-a rectangular chamber. 8 wards and outwards, Fceling my way ca utiously fect dccp and 16 fcet long, with a low wall across this depress ion 1 was only too conscious along its open fr ont. Thrce broad pillars, can Td of thc (act that .J.50 feet of sheer [ace lay im · from thc living r o ~' k , joined the Hoor to the Hat media tely below a nd although I could not sec roof, ,,,hile a fourth, \\'hich did not extend quite the base of the cliff but only the ri\'U' i 50 I'cet to the roof, was truncated at the le\'el of a bed lowcr down, r fclt that thc difference in drop ding pl ane \'isible in the surrounding ,,,all s, was a matter of acadcmic rathcr than practica l Thesc pi ll ars, roughly 18 inchcs in diameter and intcrcs t! rising from double- ti cred plinths, had bee n Beyond this obstacle, the ledgc becamc le\'cl can'cd with amazing precision: thcir surfaces again and remained a comforting width [or thc a nd also thosc ot the walls were cl early pattern next 40 feet, apart [rom a corner which it was ed "'ith diagonal adze marks, necessar y to step arou nd on a tonguc o[ rock ,-\ few ya rds beyond this chamber there was only 18 inches wide. T his howevcr was mcrely a semi-circular reccss in which was mo unted a a rehearsa l [or the ncxt traversc-Iittle morc ra iscd, rccta ngular trough, al though the spri ng than a m anLl eshelf and full y 12 fe et long, Be " 'hi ch fcd it \\'as almos t dry and in the Aoor ing less than 12 inchcs wide, it rcall y did gi\'c nea rby there was a shall ow, cy lindrical hole me an opportunity to appreciate thc precipitous \\'h ich had prcsumably been used [or the grind- B ULLETIN NUMBER 14, SEPTEMBER) 1952 45 in ~ o f Ca rll , ,-\n() thcr recess o pe ned at the bacK po in t. but an iillille nse slab had peeled away into an arlificial chamber , 10 feet square and (j from the rock [a ce be lo \\', no t o nly interrupting fe el hig h a nd be yo nd this the te rrace passed the ledge. bu t :tlso reducing considera bl y the 1\\'0 further ; tl CO \ T~, n ne leading thro ugh a n eat \\'idth o f the 'lllead Ql.\" itsc lf. ly ca n 'ed ope ning in LO a circul a r cell , barely 6 011 Ill )' firsl \'isit. lillIe \\'as pressing if' we feet in diam eter , were lI Ol to be caught b y darkness while still o n Pass ing this line of ca\'cs, I n egoti ated an th c Ilioulltains and I had 1.0 hurry back al o ng other IlalTO\\' ledge and the n ro u'nded a corner the q uartcr mile o [ ledges a nd 11 ,11'1'0 \\' tran:rses \\'herc I W: IS a bl c to \\' alk \\'ilh case, fir st across to re jo in Ill y cO lllpanio n, but on o ur second a wide terrace of ba re rock and the n o n lO what Irip, a fortnight bler, \\'e \\'C re a ble to examine ca n bes t be d escri bed as a h a ng i ng m eado \\', the nUllle ro us Gl\TS Il1 01T thoroughl y, It is in Bo ullded by sheer cl i fI' 0 11 the righ t it nd o pe n Icre,ting to speculate o n the people who in space o n the left. this was a spacio us terrace, 20 habited them , but I halT been unable to o bta in to ,HI feet \\' ide a nd thickl y O\Trgrown with lo ng ;tIl y infol'lllation on this po int. It is possible grass a nd e \'e n sm a II bush es thro ugho ut its howc\'er that the ledge p ro\ided a n inaccessible l e n ~ th , which a lll o llllled to o \'er IO() yards-cer ;tIlel easil y de fe nded stro ll gho ld [or one o f the ta inl y it was room y e no ug h LO pro\'ide graz ing B:lkhtiari tribes , ;I S the tribesm en who d welt for a fe w animal s, This terrace e nded in ;1 slip pe ry grass-co\'ered shelf' which petered a way inLO 46 1\ A TIONA L SPEL EOLOGI C AL SOC IETY Lava Caves of Central Oregon! By WILLIAM R. HALLIDAY, B.A., M.D. TIl e CasC(/(Ii' (;W//(J of til(' ,\ 'a liu ll ol S/Jel l'n/ogi('(l l Socil'/l' 11111' Iflldered i ll ,Ialuaule SI'r1IiC!' to 1111' ({IIISI' of 1'j}('l col ogi('al rC,ll' a rcli I)), till' illiellsi l y of ils eff()rt alld Ille qllllli l y ()f ils H'o r/; ill Ille arNI () f ils ad !;lil )" TIll:: i lll pUrl{/ II C1' of i ts re cOrillais,I'llIlet' H, i/I uNolll e illllnedioll' /), aIJ/lll u'lIt t o Ih e r ead ers of I h is a r ticie, ;u rilll'li I)), 0 111' of i l s //I os l d ), II (I//1.il' III I' II/ hl' r.\' , Thc Dcschlltes b\'a plateall of central Ore pa rk. :1 ca re ta ker is at h a nd \\'ith gasolinc lan gon , j LI st to the cast o f the h i ~ h peaks of the tcrns for thc cO ll\'c n iell ce u f the pll bl ic. \\' ood Cascadc Ill o lillt a ins. presents to the nilc(ln o e n stairways h a \'c been installed leadillg d owlI spe lcologist o ne o f the fin est and largest gr o llps into the sink \\'hich is Lh e e ntra nce, The tourisl o f la\'a lUbes in the contine ntal U nited States, portion o f the C;1\'e leads north,\'es t for o \'er R e pea ted lI o lI's o f pahoehoe la \ ' (1 under o pti sono feet in gentle cun'es o\'er :1 sand 1-1 001' into llllllll cond i ti o ns ha \'e prod lI ced :It least 20 no te \rhich it c\'e nllla li v sinks, The o pposite e nd is wonhy Ca\TS, and in \'iell' o f the pro fu sio n of extrem ely rough a nd d e fi ed exploratio n lIntil confllsing sinks in thc indi\'idLlal fl oll's , it seelll s the SUllllller o f 195 1 ,\'he n a local group reached likely that Ill :tn y relll :lin lInre ported :lI1d lIn its e nd a ft er I,:J OO fcet o f exh a usting tra \'e l. _-\p, disco\'C red, ,-\ s lI'ill be se~ n , a great \'arie t)' is to parently first described by Ira \ Villi alll s in :\a be e ncollntered , h ori l.O lllal and \'ertical , rOll gh turc .\Jagazine aboul :)0 yea rs ago. it is IIl c nLi on a nd easy, \\,e t a nd dry. lo ng and sh ort, straight cd in :'\SS Bulle tin 3, and branched, Sig-l1ifi cant paleon tological and Quite different but allllost :I S ,\'cli knO\\'n arch aeologica l finds h:l\ e been Illae!e in se\Tral locall y is ,-I muld I ce Cmle. to the southeast o f o f these ca\'(;s. l ce crys tals and formatio n fre Bend, This GI\'C se n 'ed as thc source o f ice for que ntl y add beauty to the illlpressi\T \'istas, ,--\11 Be nd in pioneer tb ys, a nd c \'e n thcn , d espite characteristi cs o f !a\'a fl o ll' s a rc here re\'ealcd , its mining, the to ta l exte nt o f ca \'e beyond a nd e \'e n tho llgh , multile\'c! formalio n is perhaps be nea th the icc was unkno'rn, less prolllinent here than in La\'a Bed s ;-.J a ti on a l E ntered thro ugh a slllall h ole in the north l\ fo nuJlle nt. 1n short. here is an area e n compass e nd o f a !:t\'a sink, :1 d a ngeruus GO-foot icc slope in~ all s p e l eo l o~ y , a nd a refreshing ch a nge for at :1 (;0 d egree a ngle is illlmedia tely 'e n counter the spellinker skilled onl y in limesto ne, cd, Safet y ropes a re csselllia i. ,--\t the noor, thc Phil Brogan, chairman o f the Oregon Ceo ice sl o pe le\ cl'i ofl ,\'hile the ca\'e descends. thlls gr:lphic Board. of Bend, has pro b a bly m ore blocking progress a fter som c 100 feet. A duck knowlcd ge o f these CI\'CS than a n y o thcr m a n , under. then a cr;nd on the ice lead to l\ro tiny H , R , T'onse th, Fort R ock Distr ict Ranger , also 1'O0 l11 S with frost cr ys tals o n their roofs, h as exte nsi\'e field knoll'ledge particularly o f the SO lll e,rhat similar to Ln'a Ri\'er Cave is southern group, -and h as pro\'e n himself a good Shel doll Cm l ( ', locatcd be tween Bc nd and _--\1' fri c nd o f the Cascade Grollo , \[uch o f thc in nold Icc C:1\'e, \/uch o f its ~ (lO O- f oo t le ng th is formatio n hcrcin conta ined ,,,as o bta ined fro lll sand-floorcd , pro\'iding comforta ble camping in thcse gentlclll e n and frolll the sta ff o f thc ,ret ,\'e B ULLETIN N UMB ER 14, S E PTEMBER) 1952 47 cupola, deposits of aa ];I\·a, pulled stalactites la\·a field is Edison Ice Cave. Not known to and con traction fissures arc of note. T he ca\·e h a\·e been visited in recent years, its entrance is has been mapped by the Cascade Grotto of the a small vertical shaft usually filled with ice and National Speleological Society. snow. Bischoff in NSS Bulletin 4 mentions arti Close to Arnold Ice Cave and confused with facts buried in the ice here. it in NSS Bulletin 4 is Wind Ca ve, which Seen only hom the air, on the summit of the measures about 5000 feet in length and is ex· ridge between Sheridan Mountain and Kwolh tremely rough. At about 500 feet from the ent Butte is the large entrance of a cave referred rance is a ho le in the roof 50 feet overhead, be to as I\. wolh Butte Cave. In the same general Iml" which were seen icc stalagmites April 29, area, on the southwest point of Round Moun 195 1. Beyond this point, the fl oor which previ tain is a 20 x 30-foot cave, partially fill ed with ously consisted of huge boulders piled indis rock debris, with a 1-2-i nch projections of un crim in ately, presel1ls about every 100 fee t a 30- identified mineral deposits on its ceiling. It IS [oot wa ll of aa lava which must be laboriously known as the Round i\101mtain Cave. scaled and descended. Many of the rooms thus South Ice Ca ve, 111 the Cabin Lake area, is formed are 50 feet high and very impress ive. well marked by the Forest Service. Its main Located in the same general area is Charcoal (so utheas t) section has been mapped by the Cape, where charred wood, cut with stone axes, Cascade Grotto. T hree hundred and fifty fe et h as been dated to the 13th Century. r\ full re long, two deposits of stratified ice are present port on this cave is ava il able in the March 1938 while early in the season temporary formations Oregon Historical Society Quarterly. abound throughout its three rooms. A consider Some 20 miles to the so uth, on the southern able inward draft was noted between the first flanks of th e Paulina Mountains, is Surveyor's a nd second rooms. T he shorter western passage Ice Cave, accessible only in midsummer due to is entered· through a narrow 20-foot crawl and is its higher eleva tion. T he description of the area said to be m uch more difficult. as given by Tonseth is similar to that of South Farther sou th ,. a she! tel' near Fort Rock, Ice Cave (see below). known locally as Cow or l'1.enkenriuier Cave, To the east, three ice caves are shown on the has rec e iv~d 'national archaeological a tten tion USGS Newberry Crater qua.drangle, two on the recently because artifacts found there were Forest Service map. According to a letter from dated back some 9000 years, earlier than any Brogan "these were discovered by Fred ~ Ia tz others in America. The geiger counter radio and crew while cruising timber", and have not acti ve carbon ca lendar was employed in these bee n found since. They will therefore be re studies. fe rred to as J\I[al z's l ee Caves. Easl Ice Ca ves, About 15 miles east of the Cabin Lake mentioned by Brogan, may be th e same. Ranger Station is D enick Cave, a pleasant 1800- Only about 3 miles eas t of Bend, Horse Ca ve foot trip over a sand floor from the large ent- is said to resemble Skelelon Cave on a small er . ra nce. T his area is not included in any USGS . sca le, but aside frol1\ its access ibili ty has no oth l[ uadrangle, b u t is shown on the Fort Rock er attraction. Barlow Cave, 4 miles east of Bend Ranger District map of the Deschutes National on the Bu ti er road, however, has yielded ~rti Forest. fa cts of the Fort Rock type (see below). No Some two miles to the no·rtheast of Derrick other information is currently known of th ese Cave on a sagebrush flat is the obscure entrance or the Redll10nd Caves, near that city. of Button SjJrings Cave, discovered in 1941 by Northwesternmost of the entire group · is Tonseth and party, which, entering via a 20- Shyligh I Ca ve. En tered through a vertical open foot ladder, explored abou t Yz mile of large ing 15 x 30 feet, after a 20-foot descent a 55-foot roomy passages despi te large piles of rough tunnel leads to a r00111 with a 2 x 2-foot open rock. ing in the ce iling responsible for the name of Other caves in this rough area undoubtedly the ca ve. exist. In view of the significant finds to date, it Three miles west of vVanoga Butte just is obvious that the region and its caves are within the Bachelor Butte-S heridan Mountain deserving of further study. 48 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Hydrologic and Atmospheric Studies in Scholer Cave l By CARL H. GAUM A lmost two years of time (/nd many man hours of work went into the planned 1'esearch jnoject h C1'e in described, It iuas accomjJlish ed by the coojJem tive eff ort of m01'e than (l d07.. ('n ca vers fmm the T Ten ton, N, 1- aTea w ho, with scientific eq1.lijJm ent loan ed to th e N lltionlil SjJeleological Society by the O ffice of Naval R esc(l1"ch , and with the coo/Jewtion of Pennsylvania's Game Commis sion, of its D epa1'tment o f H ealth, and of oth e1' organizations, were able to make this con tribution to speleological knowledge. l n tmduction twenty feet up a ta lus slope which is covered The Schofer Cave project was originated by with vegetati on . The entrance is high and wide, a group of Tren ton, New J ersey, speleologists opening like an inve'rted V, butsoon it narrows who undertook to make a complete study of one to a crawl way twenty feet down a 30 0 slope cave. This paper pertains to the h ydrologic and which is composed of small blocks that have it tmospheric studies. Schofer Cave was chose n fallen from the ceiling. The cave then opens for study because of its accessibility for weekend into a small room littered with large fall en trips (seventy miles from Trenton). It contain blocks. By crawling tlll~ o u g h a keyhole-like ed a fairly large amount of water, which made opening about thirty-fi ve fe et from the cave it fe as ible to collect hydrologic data. Its relative entrance it is possible to continue in to a long inaccessibility to visitation made it less likely narrow corridor barely high enough in which to that instruments would be disturbed as only stand. This corridor continues for about eighty seriously interes ted persons would take the feet, al,ternately narrow ing and widening, to a trouble to crawl into the cave's one large room. point where the ce iling suddenl y lowers to Location and D escrijJtion of Cave and Area about eighteen inches (above the floor) and it Schofer Cave is loca ted two miles northwest becomes necessary to crawl through a ten-foot of Kutztown, Pennsy lvania, about half way be long passage in snake-like fashion. tween Allento'wn and R eading. The cave is Beyond this low point one ca n crawl on loca ted in the north side of U mbrell a Hill near hands and knees and. after se\'eral more sharp the site of th e old Schofer mill on Sacony Creek. turns the so-ca ll ed B ig R oom becomes visible to It was discovered during quarrying operations. the left through se\" cral open i ngs . Largc fallen The quarried limestone was used for agricul blocks lie sca ttered about everywhere, T hey are tural purposes and an old lime kiln still stands surrounded by water, one to six fe ct deep de nea r the cave. pend i ng on thc heigh t of th e wa ter level. Ex- The loca ti on of Schofer Cave ca n be deter mined from the H amburg, Pa. U . S. Geologica l Survey topographic shee t. It is in Greenwich Township in Berks County a t Lat. 40 0 31' 54" N and Long. 75 0 48 ' 55" 'W. To reach Schofer Cave from Kutztown, Pennsy lvania, turn north at the brick pillars at the northeas t end o[ the grounds of thc Kutz toWin State Teachers College. The entrance is in a small cliff created by quarrying operati ons abou t 1 Paper p r e~el1terl at al1nual meeting of America n Asso Photo by Jerome M. Ludlow ciation for the Advancement of Sc icnce, Philadelphia" Pa.,·Dccembcr 28, 195 1. The entrance to Schofer C ave. near Kutztown, Pa, BULLETI N N UMBER 14, SEPTEMBER) 1952 49 treme care is necessary 111 climbing over them. crawling beneath a low overhang though it is Several sections of the roof look unsafe but not possible to negotiate it without partly sub since flowstone has begun to fill the cracks it is merg ing_ Beca use it is usuall y inaccessible, this likely that it has been this way [or a consider chamber is ca ll ed the Hidden R oom. It contains able period of time. There is very little lime some fl ows tone and many anthodites or cave stone formation in the cave. fl owers. Continuing east in the Big R oom more ' '''est ·o[ the Big Room lie the Catacombs, a breakdown is encountered but on a smaller se ries of inter-connecting crawlways which fin al scale. Climbing over this and then through sev ly ascend to the cave entrance. Accurate map eral small passageways one reaches Jacobs ,tV ells, ping of this ponion showed that so me sections two separate pools which are connected by a were directl y under station I , loca ted at the N 05' /0' ai 3{)' -40' MAP OF SCHOF£E Ci1V£, , 'SCff~£ I , NE./I1i!. kVrzroWNJ ftNNSYJ.VANlfi IN F~~r Reducm' firmt orit;irv/ nv/!, bttQJ,6ossef /w - [!ellised "" CIi.ChuI7, ~d /5, /95/ ' I?ZZZ2I SOLiD eocK ~ I.'J1T£Ie SVRR'iC£ c::::=J ffISSflSEttr1y, Ir1VO OR. STONE. /'i,()O,e Map of Sc hofa r Cave passageway completely fi ll ed with water. A fl as h entrance, a nd that in places the Catacombs light beam directed into one o r th e pools can cross theii- own path at lower levels. Among the be seen by an observer a t the other. The deep debris found in the Catacombs was a large est so unding, about eigh teen feet, is obviously broken stalagmite. not th e bottom. It is probable that at one time the cave was South of the Big R oom anoth er section of larger, extending out into the present vall ey of the cave ca n be reached only d uring periods of Sacony Creek. Erosion and cave breakdown evi extremely low water. It may be entered by dently have fill ed the lower portion of the 50 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY ancient cave. The present entrance probably is time lag was noted. T ime lags must certainly very close to the former cave roof. exist but probably are of yery short duration, pcrhaps only a [cw seconds or at the most only Geology a few minutcs. Such lags could not be deter Schofer Cave li es in the cave belt of Berks mined with the instrumel1ls avail able. Baro County, Pennsy lva nia, on a line with Crystal, metric pre5s ures in the Big R oom of the cave Dreibelbis, Dragon, 'and Onyx Caves . It seems were higher than pressures at the entrance due probable that there are other caves along this to thc difference in ele\·ation. Variations in the line, but as most of the afore-m entioned caves mao'nitude of Ixessure did not scem to have any were discovered by quarrying operati ons it is b dircct rela tionsh i p wi th surface temperatures. unlikely that solution cavities which are large About fift y feet [rom the ca\'e entrance baro· enollgh to admit a grown perso n connect with mctric pressures va ricd directl y as outside pres the surface. Careful reconnaissance has fail ed to su res [or the period of record. loca te any new caves. Air currents ha\'e often been observed com According to Barnsley" the country rock of ing fr om the caye in gentle gusts. The air Schofer Cave is vari able and very impure. Some current ve locity " 'as so low that a sm all hand beds are limes tone conglomerate, others are anemometer " 'ould not rota te when the record sa ndy limes tone or, locall y, true shale. The cave in'" dial was eno-ao-ed. "\The n the recording dial lies in thc lower part of the Martinsburg form u u b was dise ngaged, however, the propeller would ati on which is Ordovician in age. turn but additional fri cti on from the recording The cave has been developed by solution device quickl y slowed it to a halt. Two different along joint and bedding planes and also in anemometers were used, with identical results. fractures ca used by local faulting. Evidence ot .-\ir current was es timated b y observing smoke this faulting may be seen on the cliff near the drift at twcnty t:ce t per minute. entrance of the cave a nd also in the entrance passageway. Smoke bombs coul d not be used to trace air currents beca use of possible danger to person Ba1"OIIl clric PrcsslIres nel. Air curren ts were so low and rooms and A t various timcs duri ng the coursc of the passages were so smai l that it was believed that inves tigation a barogra ph was pl aced in the pcrsonnel could not sa fely have gotten out of cave and another at the entrance. Barographs the ca\'e before it would have completely fill ed are instruments for recording changes in air with smoke. There was no way of placing a pressures. The instrumcnt consists of an aneroid bomb in the CHe by dropping it through an barometcr with a pen so a ttached as to record opcnll1g. the pressure 011 a chart. T he chart is mou I1l cd T e171 jJe ralures on a drum which is clock driyen and rccords T hermographs (clock drive n instruments time. The clock must be wound and the chart which record continuous temperatures) were changed weekl y, on the particular instrunlents placed in sC \'e ral positions in the cave and just used . Normall y the Big R oom air pressure inside the enu'ance at various times. In the Big va ried directl y and in the sa me llI agnitude as R oolll , abou t two hundred fe et from the oiHside a tmosphcric pressure, bu t occasionally entrancc (mc:l. sured al ong the passagewa y) no for short periods (2'1 to. 72 hours) the lincs on apparent tcmpcra ture change of any m agnitude the charts did not coincide. A differcnce in pres· occurred during a fo ur-"'eek test period. Vari sure of four millibars was noted . a ti ons of about 0.25 °F. " 'ere noted on the chart, No time lag in pressure effect was noteel on but they may haye been due to instrument vari the weekly chan s, the only va ri ation bcing one ation. Hml"eyer, thc minutc temperature flu ctu· of magnitudc. T he instruments were changcel ations did sho,,' :1 diurnal pattern coinciding to a dail y sca le for scveral days, and still no with ou ts ide tempera tures. J " Barnslev, E. R ., SlO ll e, R alph W., ill Pel/I/sviva l/ia Caves, T he t1 lL'rI n ou' Taphs stabilized very slowly. On CO lllmo'lllI'ealth o[ Pellnsy lvania. Dept. of Illterllal i\[' onc occasion it tOo k six h ours fo r one to fairs. T opographic alld Geologic Survey Bulletill G·3. p. 31, 1932. stabilize [rom 55 ° F. to 50 °F. when it was BULLETI N NUMBER 14, SEPTEl'.'IBE R) 1952 51 Photo by Carl H. Gau lIl Wate r sampies are collected fro m nea rby spring by J e ro me M. Lud low . PI,n/.n I,y Hudolph F. Ga lL11I The author using Fo resters compa ss d uring su rvey of ca ve. T h is serie:s of photographs, taken during the co urse o[ the investi gati on at Schofer Cave, near Kutztown, Photo by Jerome M. Ludlow Pennsy lva nia. shows the wide variet)' of data collected . Wate r levels are measure d in Sacony Cree k by Rud ol ph F. and Carl H. G aum. Piloto by RII.dol/Jh F. Gauln PlIO /a by Jerome M. L udlow Install ing staff gage t o obta in d ata o n fluctuati o n of wa ter Norma Lipman enters data in fie ld note book after levels in cave. read ing b a rogra ph. 52 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY brought in from outside. A person approaching When a thermograph was left inside, aboul the thermograph or just crawling past it made ton y feet from the ca \'e entrance, the tempera the temperature rise about O. 3°F., and each time tures fluctu aled in the same paltern as outside someone approached or crawled past the instru temp'erawres, bUl at much smaller magnitude. men t the tempera ture ri se was recorded by a DUI ing a single lest of thirty-s ix hour duration ti ck on the charl. If someone slopped nea r the the inslrument on the surface fluctualed from instrument long enough lO read temperature a high of 38 °F. lO a low of 32 ° F. , and the one from a thermometer the recorded lem perature inside the cave from a high o[ 46° F. to a low on the thermograph jumped up about O.5 ° F., of 45 ° F. The farther one goes inlo the cave the again showing a tick on the chart. less the magnitude of the flu clLlation becomes . Some add r es~ed postal ca rds were left with a A time lag in lemperature effect was no led, thermometer in th e Big Room. ,-\ note reques l bLll beca use o[ the small sca le o[ the chart and ed all explorers to mark the temperature on the the sli ght change in lemperatures recorded on cards and mail lhem. Ignoring high rea dings thermographs in th e cave it was difficu lt to read apparently due to the thermometer being held this li me lag accurately. It took from forty-five in the hand, a difference in tempera ture of thc minules to an hour for a peak outside tempera cave air of aboul 1° F. between wi nter and slIm lure lo show up on the thermograph forty feet mer months was noted, the temperature being inside the ca\·e. Small changes in outside an higher in late summer than in early spring temperatures, o[ course, did not show up on the when it was at its lowe t. thermograph in the ca \'e passageway. "Vater temperatures in the pool in the Big During fiv e trips to the cave, air temperature Room varied about 2°F. from spring to sum gradients [rolll the entrance to the Big Room mer. T he average or normal water temperature \I' ere determined. Thermometers were placed at is 50°F. bUl in the spring a fter heavy rains and 5-foot in terva ls for the first fifty feet, and then after considerable water had percola ted into the abou l e\'e ry ten feet [or the remaining distance. cave, water temperalu res were slightly lower. Thermometers were placed on wire racks and Ai r tempera lure also could be influenced by the left [or several hours. During two u'ips outside dripping water after heavy rains in the spring. air temperature was higher than 50°F., and on In other sections of the Gl\'e, temperatures two olher u'ips 10\l'er than 50°F., and on one were sli ghtly differel1l; at Jacobs '''' ell s, for lrip just about 50°F. (See Fig. I.) No definite instance, air temperature several feet above the temperature gradienl could be determined. The water surface was 51°F., and in the cave en lempera lure approached 47 °F. to 48 °F. in the trance passageway it dropped as low as 48 °F. rear o[ the entrance passageway. \'Vhile it rose even during the warmest sUl11m er month. T hese in some locations and fe ll in others it did not flu ctua tions [1'0111 the normal of 50°F. in lhe [ollow a uniform rise or decline. Big R oom probably were due lo the effects o[ D evia tion [rom a smooth hea t u'ans[er curve air currents a nd to proximilY to the surface. may be due LO the many large blocks o[ roof At J acobs \IVell s the air temperature aver breakclO\\'I1 \I'hich expose more surface area to aged 1°F. higher than air lemperature in the air currents. i.e. , the air in pass ing through lhe Big Room. This was probably due to the fact Gl \'C mU Sl circul :lle a grealer distance than that the former slation is in a drier, higher loca would ol her\,'ise be neces a.ry and it therefore tion, and thal ev idently it connects with the sur come in contaCl \I'ith more rock surface, some [ace. T he skeleton of an opossum was found of \I'hich is covered \I'ith moi ture. This condi here. I t is quile unlikely that the animal could li on tend lo cool the air more rapidly if it is \I'a nll \I'hen it comcs in. or to retard heating it have gained access to th e cave through the main i[ the sllr[ace air temperalure i 10\l'er than cave entrance, through the water filled room, to the rear portion of the cave. NUls and other food rock lcmperalllre. found near the skeleton gave further evidence On each trip lemperatures were taken at a of a connection with the surface. spring \I'hich is believed to be fcd b cave B ULLET1N NUMBER 14, SEPTEMBER) 1952 53 ~ o /0 cO 30 40 50 ~ 70 80 f);smNC£. FeOM {', ,', : I 1',1 I .,' .. I ' -J I , I 4 : \ r\ I \....--- Vhfer lelel f ' I I t '\ f : ; \~ I f f i I • ! \ ,, \, "'.\ \ . \ , \ \ \ \ " \ \ '. \ '., , " , '. , \ . " , ,, '. o j,L.I • III II JI U,-y f/V/3UST lfePTCM8E.eJ U-T~.e WfIT£R. LEVELS IN BIG eOOM, IN ScHOFER.. OWE NEAR. klirZTOWN, hNNSYLVIlNIR. fiNO fk£.CIP I Tt9 TION liT VU:tSINVI.£.L£, flNNSYi..Vt9N!~ NS/. 54 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY water. N ine ou t of twelve readings were exactl y R oom. A quantity of postal cards was left for 50°F. T hree deviations of 0.5°, may have bee n ex plorers to se nd in water-levcl data read from due to the observer or the thermometer bei ng the staff gage. Cards ca me in quite regularly at in error. about two-week intervals until the gage was Humidity knocked over. R elative humid ity in the Big R oom has From water-I e\'e l recorder charts and staff varied from 95% to 100%, the normal humidi ty gage readings a h ydrograph [or the period of being fairly close to 100% . The variations may record was drawn. (See Fig. 2.) Precipitation at be due to discrepancies in thermometer readings Virgin vill e was plotted on the sa me diagram. since a 1°F. error in the wet bu lb temperature Maximum high water of 4. 78 fee t occurred on will make 5% difference in calcul ated rela ti vc I\hy 2, 195 1, after a period of several heavy humidity at the norma l cave tcmperature. rains. At that time springs appeared in the meadow along th e road adjacent to U mbrell a TVate?' Levels Hill and wa ter level in the spring at the camp A three- foot sec ti on of steel staff gage was site was 0,2 foot above normal. After this date, installed on Septem ber 23 , 1950 a nd for a few however, \Va tel' levels dropped qui te rapidl y and weeks gave a record of water-level flu ctuations. rainfall had little effect on pool level in the On March 11 , 195 1, however, thc wa ter had cave. This undoubtedl y refi ects the increased risen to such an ex ten t that this gage was com absorbtion of water by rapidly growing vegeta pletely submerged. Its value, therefore, was par ti on on the hillside above the cave and also ti all y nullificd by our inability to es timate the rapid runo ff of rains of high intensity. probable rise in water Icvel prior to its installa After heavy rains a considerable quantity of ti on. water drips [rom the ceiling of the Big Room, On :March 18, a water-stage recorder was in but some water is [ound perco lating through stalled on the pool in thc Big Room. T he the cavc roof cven after peri ods of prolonged instrument consists o[ a float attached to a tape drough t. so tha t a risc or fall in water level rotates a On each visit to the cave a tape measure drum to which a chart is attached. A cl ock ment from the edge of a railing on the up drive n tim e mechanism moves a recording pen stream side of a bridge over Sacony Creek was across the chart so that a continuous change of made to the water surface. No direct r elation water level is recorded and an accurate gra ph ship between flu ctuati ons in creek level and the res ults. This instrumen t was of a "weekly" ty pe water level in the ca\'e pool was apparent. Both and it therefore beca mc necessary to visit thc rose after hea \'y rains, b ut Sacony Creek rose cave every seven or eight days in order to more quickly and also fe ll quite rapidly. The change the chart th crcon if a continuous record cave pool level apparently riscs more slowly and was to be obtained. A brea k in the record oc also drops at a much slower rate, sometimes re curred, unfortunately, because of the inability quiring several mon ths to [all a few feet. Heavy of the available pcrsonnel to visit the caw rains on July 28 and 29, 195 1, caused nearby weekly. As shown by th e charts [or four consecu Sacony Creek to o\Trflow its banks, and the tive wecks, howcver, there was a maxImum creek Jevc! rose several fe et above normal. The Hu ctu ation in water levels of 1.21 feet from cavc wa tcr le\'el ro e onl y about one foot, not March 18, 195 1 through April 15, 1951. A n an a pprcciable amou n t. effort was n13de to correlate this change in T he obsen 'ccl record 10\\- [or 1951 occurred water level with U. S. '''Teather Bureau rccords on October 21, \\'i th a reading of 0,85 foot. This of prccipitation fr om the nca res t vV ea ther diffcred by 3,93 [ect from the obselTcd high of Bureau stati on loca tcd at V irgin ville, Pennsyl 4-.78 [ect, on May 2nd, ' Vatcr levels in three va nia, a distance o f approx im a tel y three miles nearby observati on wells, measured by . S. from the ca \·e. Geological lll'vey personnel, were compared On .June 10, 1951, a six-foot graduatcd stcel with the watcr le\'els in Scho[er Cavc_ T he gen staff gage was placed 111 the pool in the Big era! trend o[ both was found to be the same, B ULLETIN NUMBER 14, SEPTEMBER) 1952 55 TABLE 1 C he mical .-\na lys is o f \Vater 111 SchoLer Cal'e (SII III /J/cs collef"/ ed il llg lls/ I . 195 1 j Lo cali on Sa mpl e pH \'crsc !latc TOlal CO HCO Cl Sp. Cond.· .\ NlImbcr 1-1;lJ"( l l1 ess C dci liin 1'11111 ppm" pplll Carbonat e ppm Drip fro m roo f ) II 1.-\ 8. 10 116 9.8 I J 0 2.0 286 Hi,,· j o f b R oom ( l1lR 8.2 J-H 9. 8 12 2.0 270 P ool Biu R oolll l IB 7.8 85 0 80 2.2 185 Spring '" 1.-\ 7A 82 () 86 2.2 199 Spring lB 7.·1 SG 0 85 2.2 194 ' Spcc ifl c co n T.\BLE 2 Ba cteri o logical Analysis o f \Vater 111 Sch o fer Caye (SllIn /,les I'Ullec/eri jll ne 10, / 9 ;/ in s/erile /Jollies alld accorriing /0 ins/m e/ i o lls of P ennsy lv llnia D I' /}(n/II/I' II/ of {-frill/fl. ) Tota l Bacteria ColifOl'm TvI.P.N. per cc. per I 00 cc. I. D ipped sa m pI e [rom spring at campsite 5000 2 10 2. Dipped s; llllple from private we ll 5000 240 :.J). Drip [rom e ll'e roof 50 0 -I. Dipped sa III pI e fro m pool In Big R oom 2000 0 ind icating the similari ty be tl,'een caye pool SlImcy ing Ic.:vel a nel genera I g ro ll nel \\,; 1t e l' ICI·e ls. A map o f the GII'e and its surro unding area W aleI' A no/yses \\'as drawn a nd lel'e ls were run [1'0 111 the pool \ " ;Iter sa mples fr o m th e (,; II 'C and its su r· in lhe cave 1. 0 the b r idge ol'er Sacony Creek, so rOllnding area \\' ere collected and a na lY7.e d for that comparative water-]cl'e l data could be o b the ir chemica l ;Ind bacteriological conte nt. (See ta ined . At the time the Sllrl'ey was lll ad e the T a bles I and 2.) wa tel' lel'el in the (;1 I'e was G.80 feet higher The spring ;Inel a pril'ale \\'e ll sho \\' ecl mark th a n that in the sprillg and 11.05 feet hig h er ed el'ide ll ce o f po llutio n , bllt the Gll e \\'aters than that a l the bridge o l'er Sacon y Creek. \\'C re free o f gas p roducing bacteria. The spring These comparisons were based o n figures for and \\'CI I el'ide llll y arc po lill ted b y sur[zice and Aug ust 5, 195 1 when the wa ter-lel'e! reading o n pril'Y cO llt. a lllill:ltio n. It is bc li e l'C cl that un· the G-foot staff gage in the pool in the cave's contallli ll;lled \\' ;Ite r GIll be o btained In the Big R oolll was 2.05 [eel and the dCplh to wa ter area by drilling :1 Glsecl \\·ell. froll! the b r idge was 13.:)7 leet. EI'c n if slig ht T he pH decre: lses fr olll 8 .1 to 7. -J as the erro rs \\'ere made in surl'eying clue to discre pan 1,':ltcr lralT ls o llt\\'ard fr o m Ih e GII 'e- roo [ drip cies in reading' ang les the erro rs would not be to \\'al'(l the spring. H :lrd ness decrcases also as d o g reat e ll o ug h to change t.h e relationsh ip o f the lll ost o thcr cO ll'>titu c n ts examined. C h lo rides, surface or th e GIl'e pool to t hc spring or creek h owever, increase sli g htl y. su rLl ce. 56 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY An A bney level and Foresters compass were fall pattern. Almos t im media te r ise was noted used for surveying in the cave and all angles in water levels during spring and winter were checked. Distances were measured with an months when little precipi ta ti on is absorbed by engineers tape graduated to 1/ IOOth of a fo ol. soil and plal1ls. During the summer mon ths On the surface an engin eers transit and level rainfall has onl y sligh t effect. were used for survey ing. T here was no a pparen t co n necti on between It ca n be sta ted definitely that there is no the water in Scho rer Cave and that in Sacony direct connec ti on between Sacony Creek and the Cree k. T he " 'ater surface in the G I "e pool was pool in the Big R oom of Schofer Cave other se veral feet higher than creek level. tha n the fact th at the wa ter fr om the cave u lti A eli l1ow ledgmcl1ls mately finds its way into the creek. r-,-r any perso ns and orga nizations contrib uted, S II 7111 11 a1'Y both directl y and indirectl y, LO the Schofer Cave In Schofer cave air temperatures at a par Project. Special recognition m ust go to Osca r J. ticular loca ti on remain fa irl y constant through C osse tt who concei "ed the project and to out the yea r. T emperatllres vary from place to J erome M. Ludlow fo r arousing the author's place in the ca ve because of air currents and in teres t in ca ,'e h ydrology, fo r acting as com-d i proximity to the surface. ,,,Ta ter temperatures na tor of the projec t, for wri ting the preli m inary of the pool in the Big R oom vary slightly im report, and for editing this fin al manuscrip t. mediately after heavy rain and have some effect A ss i s t ~ lI1 c e in getting the projec t under way and on air temperature. The tempera ture of water for the perliminary mapping of the cave b y Os from a spri ng bel ieved to be fed by wa ters in ca r .J. Cosse tt and R obert P. Lipman is ack the cave remained consta nt for the peri od of nowl edged. Rudolph F. GauJl1 participated in record. R ela ti ve humid ity was always observed mos t of the trips. H enry H erpers wrote a brief as 100 per ce nt in the Big R oom but varied as report on the geology of th e area. Mr. and i\Irs. one approached the entrance or other all Richard Slamm, near whose h ome Schofer Cave passageways. Definite air currents have bee n is located, were mos t cooperati" e in ass isting noted with the currents obsen ed to be coming with informati on. T he fo ll owing persons par in gusts at times. ti cipated on several trips for the coll ection of Barometric press ure in the cave generall y data: Richard Booz, Richard Brillantine, Eliza varies directly as barometric pressure on the beth S. C aum, Eve H erpers (nee Kell er), J erry surface wilh no perce ptible time lag noted on H. Lieberman, May Ludlow, Norma Lipman the instruments used. For short periods differ and ' '''alter T. Sittner. ences in th e m agnitude o f change in barometric T he Oflice of Na"al R esearch furnished press ures were noted. b a r 0 g r a p h s , thermographs, psychrometers, T he tempera ture gradien t [rom the entrance anemometers, and other equipment [or li se in to the Big R oom " 'as studied during several periods. No definite pattern was obsen ed. The the \l"Ork . Cooperati on of the Pennsylvania va riati on from th e theoreti cal pattern \ n lS prob Game Commiss ion on whose lands the cave is abl y due to air currents in the cave being located and of the Pennsyil'ani a Department of di verted arou nd large fa ll en bl ocks " 'it11 onl y H ea l th [or bacteriologica l analys is of the " 'ater small spaces betw ee n, hence expos ing more sur in the ca,'e and from nearby areas is also ack fa ce to the a ir than would othen"ise be the case nowledged. Advice and records \,'ere freely fur in its normal tra\'e l through a straight passage way. nished by the fi el d perso nnel of the U nited 'Water level in a laJ'ge pool of wa ter in the Slates Ceolog-ie d Sun'ey in both l'\ e,,' J ersey cave Ou ctuatecl with the seasons and the rain- ;lIld Pennsylvania. B U LLETI N NUMB ER 14, SEPTE1\lBE R) 1952 57 General The Eggs of TYPHLOTRITON SPELAEUS Stejneger, Obtained by Pituitary Gland Implantation Mittleman (Mittleman, M. B. 1950. Cavern dwelling salama nders of the Ozark plateau. Bull. of the Nat. Speleological Soc., No. Twelve, p. 13 ) saY8 t hat the eggs of Typhlotriton spelaeus have never been described. As a matter of fact, the eggs of this r emarkable salamander wer e described b:,' Barden and Kezer (1944) from material obtained by pituitary induced ovulation. It is true that the eggs of T yphlotriton have never been co ll ected from the can's in which this salamander li ves, but there is no reason to believe that the eggs obtained by Barden and me in the laboratory differ in their ~ tr uctur e from those deposited by t his species in its natural habitat. However, it is quite possibl e that Plwl u I'." Ii. fl. /larr/f' ll the attachment and grouping of the eggs that we EGG of Typhlotriton spelaeus, photog ra p hed c hiefly by re secur ed by induced ovulation may be decidedly flected light. X4.S. This egg VIa s remo ved fro m the rock to a typical. wh ich it had been attached; conseq uently the third (outer) We co ll ected the specimens that were used in envelo p e is to rn and somewhat mi sshapen. The sl ightly el ip. the experim ent from River Cave, Camdenton, Mis tical bou ndary between the second (midd le) envelope, and sOUl'i, during the last week of March 1942. In our th e very thick third (outer) envelope , a lso can be seen. co ll ection were four females which showed large ovarian eggs through the partially transpare nt body wall. Three of these f emales were implanted in the subcuta neous space beneath the tongue muscula ture with pituitary glands that ha d been taken ----- / -- from various species of salamanders and from the , '-, leopard frog, Rana pipiens. The implants were , / " , I made at in tervals over a period of 15 days. W e I . , I -----,- - VITELL US I ' kept the impianted a nimals in covered glass dishes I ../ ---+-- V ITELLINE MEMBRANE I FiRST ENVELOPE ( FLU ID) containing a layer of water and several rocks at a I . ._-J-- \ • --SECOND E NVELOPE (JELLY ) tempera ture of 18-22 degrees C. Two of our ex \ , _ ...J-- THIRD ENVELOPE (JELLyJ,SURF"ACE \ @ perime ntal a nimals failed to ovulate but the third , , / INDIST J NeT AND I RREGUL AR deposited a total of thirteen eggs. The first four , , ~/ egg's were deposited in the water, singly and un ------attached, seven days after t he original implanta Typhl otriton spelaeus tion. Six salamander pituitary glands and one from Rana pipiens had been r equired to induce the lay Iha 58 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCI ETY The Eggs of the Zig-Zag Salamander, PLETHODON CINE REUS DORSALIS The red-backed salamander, Plethodon c. cine reus, is the most abundant terrestrial salamander in eastern North America, sout.hward to Georgia. To the southwest of its range, specifically from south ern Ohio to southeastern Illinois, and from central Kentucky to Al abama it is r epla ced by its near rel ative, P. c. dorsalis. The latter subspeci es has a noticeably zig-zag dorsal stripe r ather than a uni- ' form band. It also occurs in a lead-backed phase, like P. c. cine reus but can be recognized by its more slender form. The zig-zag sala mander has been found under logs and stones in the woods but in cave country it often occurs in and about the mouths of caves. In Mammoth Onyx Cave, near Horse Cave, Kentucky, a regul ar seasonal migration of this salamander has been noted, and the eggs have been discovered. The eggs wer e fi rst call ed to my attention in 1937 by Dr. E. R. Pohl, operator of the cave, and were illus trat ed a nd mentioned by me in a popular ar t icle (Natural Hi i' tory, voL 43, pp. 199-200, April 1939) . A more detail ed description of the eggs and the ha bitat is now given. During three visits, June 29, 1937, June 28, 1938, and July 5, 1946, a t otal of at least 12 nests were f OUlld , eaeh with an adult salamander in at tenda nce. All the nests were found in small cavities Photo by R. Ii. liardI' ll in flu ted cave formations. The site most frequently EGGS of Typhlotriton spelaeus attached to the mo ist upper occupied in the side of such a column, 5 f eet above surface of a rock, sh own wit h milli mete r sc ale. The e g g s we re the floor, consisted of three triangular grottoes 30 o bta ined by in d uced ovulation . to 45 mm. wide a nd about 60 mm. deep. The three cavit ies lay side by side, measuring 6 inches across. E ach year two of the three cavities conta ined nests. In 1937, one sa lama nder had' the zi g-zag pattern; in 1938 neither ; in 1946 both. In 1937 a t otal of 4 scatter ed nests wer e found, each wit h 3 eggs; in . There is no doubt that life-history information 1938 eggs were found only at t his site, bot h being obtained in the laboratory by experimental pro clusters of 4; while in 1946, the nests t otalled 6 cedures must be evaluated with considerabl e ca u· a nd contained from 2 to 5 eggs. tion. However, when the reproductive processes of Unlike the eggs of P. c. cinereus, which number a cave sala mander consistently escape the eye of up to 13 and ha ng from a gelatinous stalk attached the inquiring speleobiologist, it is a good idea t o to the rock or wood roof of the nest cavity, the get a start on the solution of the problem by bring eggs of P. c. dorsalis have no stalk or pedicel and ing the animal into' the laboratory. Ver y simple ex a dhere to the floor or wall of the little grotto due perimental technics, such as the one described here, to the adhesiveness of the outer envelope. can sometimes provide valuable information re The body of the attenda nt salamander encircles garding the fascinating animals that the speleo the eggs, or the tail may be curled around them. logist learns to know during his underground ex The individual egg is indist ing ui shabl e from that of plorations. P. c. cinereus. It measures 4 to 4.5 mm. in diameter and is surrounded by the vitelline membrane and ,l ,u.n:s K EZER, Ullivenity of Missouri, by two tra nspa rent but distinct envelopes. The in ColulI/bia, Mo. dividual eggs adher e to each other. B U LLETI.'l N U MBER 14, SEPTEMBER. 195 2 59 The eggs observed on July 5, 1946, appeared to be in the neural groove stage of development. Two eggs co ll ected on August 21, 1946, showed well developed embryoes, both exhibiting the strong zig zag pattern characteristic of the red-backed phase. Dr. Pohl estimated the period of incubation to' be about 12 weeks. Since the uniform cave tempera ture is about 580 F., it is not surprising that in cubation of P. c. dorsalis may take 3 or 4 weeks longer than P. c. cine reus whose incubation is in fluenced by warmer surface temperatures. CHARLES E. MOHR, Audubon Center, Greenwich, Conn. EM BRYO sala manders, Plethodon c. dorsalis, showing well d e veloped structure and c haracteris tic zig-zag pattern on back. Photo by Charles E. l\!lohr Th e externa l gil ls c an be seen on o ne embryo. Part of outer EGGS in a cavity in a flow-sto ne fo rm ation in Ma mmoth envelope of left egg is to rn. The outer envelopes fuse to Onyx C ave, Ke ntucky, attended by the ad ul t zig-za g sala form a common layer between the two eggs. A ugust 21, mande r. J une 29, 19 37. 1946. Photo by Charles E. Main- 60 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY The Eggs of PLETHODON DIXI held together in .a bunch. Unl ike the eggs of P. cinereus, however, this common envelope does not Plethodon dixi was described from Dixie Cav form a stalk by which the eggs are suspended. erns and New Dixie Caverns near Salem, Roanoke The eggs of P. dixi are considerably larger than County, Virginia by Pope and Fowler (1949 Nat. those of P. cinereus, approaching the size of P. Hist. Misc., Chicago Acad. Sci., No. 47, pp. 1-4). glutinosus eggs as described by Noble and Marshall On August 19, 1948 the writer, accompanied by (1929, ArneI'. Mus. Novit., No. 347, pp. 6-9). An Robert Sutcliffe, visited Dixie Caverns. On this oc average egg of P. dixi is 5.0 mm. in diameter. THe casion a female P. dixi with a clutch of six eggs dia meter of the vitelline membrane surrounding was discovered in a cavity at the base of the mas the egg is only slightly larger. The inner (first) en sive flowstone formation on which these salamand velope measures 5.5' mm. in diameter. The outer ers are particularly abundant. The eggs were at (second) envelope averages 6.0 mm. but is quite tached about two inches from the bottom of a variable especially where it fuses with the outer perpendicular wall which formed one side of this envelope of adjacent eggs to form a common en cavity. The cavity was three and one-half inches velope. Here the outer envelope is drawn out into long, one inch wide, ,and three inches deep. a tubular extension which fuses with a similar ex The eggs of P. dixi are quite similar to those of tension from an adjacent egg. In this respect the P. cinereus as described by Bishop (1941, The eggs of P. dixi are much like those fi gured for P. Salamanders of New York, p. 207) as far as the glutinosus by Noble and Marshall (Joc. cit., p. 7, envelopes surrounding the yolk are concerned. Fig. 3 ). The eggs of P. dixi are also like those of Thus, in addition to the customary vitelline mem P. glutinosus in that they are unpigmented ~ nd brane, two other envelopes are present. Of these, creamy white in color. The small embryos in each the inner (first) is more rigid and hyaline in ap of the eggs are also without pigment. pearance. The outer (second) envelope is rather membranous and irregular in shape. This outer en velope forms a common envelope with adjacent J A M ES A. FOWLER, Academy of N atural eggs by means of which the individual eggs are Sciences, PhiladeljJhia, Pa. An individual egg of Phethodon dixi sh owing the vitel lus and its e nvelopes, and an e mbryo. X 14. The d otted lines ind io cate the vitelline me mbrane and inne r (first) envelo pe, respectively. The ou te r (second ) envelope forms the outer sur face o f the egg and fuses with the o uter surface of adjacent eggs to prod uce a common envelope hol d ing the e g gs together. Grace L. Orton, del. BULLETIN NUMBER 14, SEPTEMBER, 1952 61 A Cave Record fo~ the Red Bat, Indiana. They were scattered "in a manner indicat ing that the animals had probably died where they LASIURUS B. BOREALIS hung suspended f1;om the roof of the cave and that From time to time visitors to caves during win they had not reached the place by accident nor ter have r eported seeing what they consider to be been killed all at one time by a single catastrophe." "red bats", and one or two such r eports, unsupport Hahn reported that t.he bones were covered by a ed by specimens, have been published. Without ex deposit of calcium carbonate more than a milli ception, however, investigation has proved that the meter in thickness. He speculated that the remains reports were based on the pipistrelle or Georgian "may indicat~ that the red bat is a decadent spe bat, Pipistrellus subflavus. cies, represented by fewer individuals at present t.han in the past, or they may indicate that it has On the other hand, two finds of bones and other abandoned the cave dwelling habit in recent skeletal reniains, positively identifi ed as Lasiurus times." borealis have been reported. Bailey (Animal Life of the Carlsbad Cavern, p. 123, 1928) discovered The first "complete" specimen taken in a cave two skulls "on the floor of the deepest room in was found by the author in Nickajack Cave, Shell Carlsbad Cavern, New Mexico. They were old and mound, T ennessee, on Decemb'er 14, 1950. While fragil e and had been there many years". Hahn searching for Myotis gris~scens, only three speci (Biological Bulletin, pp. 141-147, Aug. 1908) mens of which were seen, a strange-looking bat found more than 200 skulls of L. borealis and two of L. cinereus scattered among the rocks on the floor of the large room of Shawnee Cave, Mitchell, Photo by Cha rles E . M ohr Photo by Charles E. Mohr RED BAT hanging d ead , as it a ppeared when foun d in Nick· aiad Cave . Fox re d in color, it is brighter, la rger, and more PIPISTRELLE wh ic h sometimes is mi sta ken ly identifie d as a fe rry tha n the pipistrelle and has quite inco nspicuous ears. re d ba t. The po inted nose and conspicuous ears are char· It belong s to the so·calle d tree· ba ts. acteri stic of the cave bats. Pipistrellus s. subflavus. 62 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY was observed hanging from a perpendicular wall a Additional Notes On the Sternberg few feet back from the main stream and perhaps Belding Dry-Peel Technique1 900 feet from the entrance. It was hanging about 15 feet up on a sheer limestone wall. When dis This technique of making plastic impressions of lodged it' proved to be a dead, female, red bat, bryozoans and s m~lil cross sections of fossils, min Lasiurus b. borealis. erals and cave formations has proven very satis The specimen was in an excellent state of pres factory. For bryozoans and similar textures, ace ervation but may well have been dead for many tone is applied to the specimen. A piece of celluloid months. It seems likely that it entered the cave dur is then pressed against it while the dissolved plastic ing the summer or early fall for a short stay and forms a mold of the specimen and hardens. After died there. Both the Carlsbad and Shawnee Cave drying, the celluloid is. pulled free. Before making skulls also may represent the remains of bats which impressions or peels of cross sections, the flat sur ventured into the caves during summer, or during face of the specimen should be polished with #600 migratory flights, and not during the hibernation carborundum abra5ive and water, then lightly period. etched with dilute acid and dried. (Carbonates can CI-f..\RLES E. MOHR, A lid II bOil Cell tel', be etched with hydrochloric acid.) To make impres C; ree ll1vicl" Conn. sions of etched surfaces of cross sections, a piece of celluloid is placed on a firm flat .surface (Le. a piece of plate glass ). After applying acetone to dissolve the top side of the celluloid, the etched A West Virginia Cave Record for surface is pressed against the plastic and held firm the Silver-Haired Bat ly a f ew minutes while the impression sets. These are called "dry-peels" since a thin sheet of celluloid On April 12, 1952, a Silver-haired' bat, Lasi is used instead of several appli cations of liquid col onycteris noctivagans, was found in Greenville lodion. The latter method would produce "wet Saltpeter Cave, Greenville, Monroe County, "Vest peels" which would be dry when the collodion Virginia, by Christy A. W eiland, Jr., while he was hardened. 'collecting bats for banding. The animal was a n Dry-peels a r e preferred to wet ones when either adult male and was hang ing by itself approximately ca n be made. The thickness of the celluloid sheet 1000 feet from the cave entrance and was hrought lJel'mits dry-peels to be made in a matter of a few to me by W eil and. The specimen was sent alive to minutes. Several applications of liquid collodion W. Gene Frum and is now No. 1848 in hi s collec (often requiring hours to dry) are usuall y needed tion. Nearby \vere found Pipistrellus s. subflavus to produce a film of substantial thickness. Also of and the only colonies of Myotis I. lucifugus and advantage a re the extended edges of the celluloid Myotis sodalis which were seen in the cave. The sheet (Fig. 1). These can be easily held when the Silver-haired bat is one of the so-called tree bats peel is to be removed. Edges of wet-peels often and it is unusual to find it in a cave. shred or tea r when stripped from the specimen. 'WAYN E H. DAVIS, 307 Dllqllesll e A ve., Appa rently Sternberg and Belding restricted J\!l o rgalllowlI, TIV. Va. the dry-peel technique to small surfaces and cross sections. With a little experimentation, I have been a ble to use their technique for making dry-peels of cave pearl cross sections 35 mm. in diameter. This Two Silver-Haired Bats, saves much time a nd effort over that required for LASIONYCTERIS NOCTIVAGANS, making wet-peels of the same size and quality. Al though the latter can , be made of surfaces having Found In a Virginia Cave any degr ee of deformity, the dl'y-peel do es not In November 1951, a collecting party sent out prove too satisfactory when inegularities are high by the Division of Parasitology, Army Medical er tha n about 0.5 lllm. Very few materials and Service Research a nd Graduate School, found two tools are needed for making these larger dry-peels. male silver haired bats, Lasionycteris noctivagans, Celluloid and acetone comprise the materials, and in Rumbolt Cave, near Covington, Virginia. Since a "C" clamp and a piece of plate glass the tools. this bat has not previously been reported from a The procedure, although simple, must be car cave, this find is of considerable interest. Ide ntifica ried through with care and patience. For making a tion was confirmed at the U. S. National Museum. large dry-peel, lay a piece of celluloid on the plate The bats were turned over alive to' Ernest P. Walk glass. If the celluloid is slightly curved, it is best er, of the National Zoological Park. to have the edges curl upward (Fig. 1). Acetone should be applied with great care; if too much is NAl\CY ROGERS, 18-11 R. Stree t, N.W., used, there is a tendency for it to flow between the Washillgtoll , D. C. celluloid and glass. This is to be avoided since all BULLETIN NUMBER 14, SEPTEMBER, 1952 63 of the irregularities in the surface of the glass would be reproJiuced, and the back side of the peel would have a frosted appear;lTIce; this area should be clear if one plans to photograph the peel. 2 The acetone should covel' an area equal to, or greater than, that of the ' specimen. When a thin film of plastic has been dissolved, press the .specimen against it with a firm steady pressure. A slight rota tion often helps force the air from between it and the plastic. Apply a "C" clamp to hold the pres sure (Fig. 1) until the acetone dries (sometimes a matter of a few hours for large peels). The con tacting ends of the clamp should be covered with about four layers of adhesive tape. Although any smooth surface can be used to support the celluloid against the specimen, plate glass is best since it permits observation of the impression. If undesir able bubbles have formed, the plastic can be re moved immediately and a new peel made. It is very important to have bubble-free im Fig. I pressions if they are to be photographed. When the plastic is diy, remove the peel with a steady, con people; micro-details can often 'be seen that w.ere tinuous pull. Any hesi tation during the removal not noticed on the original specimen, and they can will leave a mark across the impression. (These often be projected as slides for lectures and dis marks will also show on a photoKraph.) cussions. The last and very important step is to mount DONALD M. BLACK, Box 144,' the peel between glass plates. If the excess cellu Gmnd Canyon, Ariz loid around the edges of the impression ' is thick or curled, it should be .trimed . with a razor blade. LITERATURE CITED Mounting must be done before the peel becomes 1 STERNBERG, R. M., and fiELDING, II. F. 1942. Dry·pcel brittle or warped. technique: JOlir. Paleontology, Jan., pp. 135, 136. 2 EASTON, W. H. 1942. Improved technique for photo· Dry-peels offer many opportunities. They are graphing peel sections from corals: J.our. Paleontology, inexpensive; duplicates can be sent to interested March, pp. 261·63. 64 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY