Its discontinuance brought protests from former Caverns visitors who had remembered this final closing gesture as the high point of the tour. Rippled layers give the Rock of Ages a shape all its own, and it marks the end of the journey through the mighty Carlsbad Caverns of today. It is now nearly four hours since the traveler entered the big natural opening to the cave some 700 feet above him. His sweater feels good, though he isn't as cold as he had first supposed he might be, for the constant walking during the 2¾ miles which the full trip requires has kept him relatively warm. Before saying good-bye to the Caverns he likes to pause a moment at the entrance to the Big Room and look back, for one last glimpse of this largest known room in the world, man-made or otherwise. Above him some 285 feet is the bedecked ceiling, the highest point in the Caverns, and suspended by the longest unsupported arch known in the world! The human mind can't quite believe it, yet there it is. And as the visitor slowly turns to thoughts of the return trip he revolves in his mind the beauties he has seen. He will find the elevator takes him quickly and safely 750 feet upward to the surface where the warm sunlight appears exceedingly bright to human eyes, which, in the intervening hours, have become accustomed to the gentle illumination found in the Caverns' otherwise inky blackness. Within his own mind the visitor knows he will never forget the indescribable sights he has seen, but how can he tell others of the size, the intricate design, the scope and beauty that he has witnessed? Pictures help, and these may be purchased at the souvenir stand near the entrance. Views of all the better known formations in color are obtainable, as well as booklets telling about the history of the mammoth Caverns and how they were formed millions of years ago. Man enters the great underground fairyland a bit apprehensive and sometimes skeptical as to what he will see, finding it hard to believe all he has heard of the Great Carlsbad Caverns of New Mexico. But some four hours later, as he once again greets the light of day, he recollects how Man has been responsible for some pretty remarkable shows, it is true, but now he is convinced that Mother Nature herself puts on the biggest, the most colorful, and the most spectacular show of all! BIBLIOGRAPHY National Parks Folder on Carlsbad Caverns New Mexico, The American Guide Series Animal Life of the Carlsbad Cavern, by Vernon Bailey National Geographic Magazine, January, 1924; September, 1925; October, 1953 Science American, October, 1900; December, 1923 Science, December, 1923; November, 1924 Sunset, May, 1924 Mentor, August, 1925 Literary Digest, November, 1924 The New York Times, October, 1923 Natural History Magazine, December, 1947 Bulletins of the U. S. Geological Survey [Illustration: The famous bat flight--a nightly occurrence at the Caverns.]