476 AUSTRALIAN HIRUDINEA, III., 



through the clear body-substance as yellowish-brown structures; 

 it is the presence of these coloured structures that draws the 

 attention of a collector who, otherwise, would recognise nothing 

 in the clear body-mass to consider the presence of a leech. On 

 being placed in a solution of corrosive sublimate, the body became 

 wliite and opaque, the characteristic features of a leech becoming 

 more evident. No pigment-areas or any traces of structures of 

 mebameric significance, such as sometimes occur in G. heteroclita^ 

 were visible. Length 8*8(contracted specimen); breadth 2-6 mm. 

 (contracted specimen). Annuli 68-72; very inconspicuous in the 

 preserved specimen (much more so in the living condition) except 

 towards the lateral regions of the body. The skin is quite smooth 

 and devoid of any sense-papillae. 



Eyes. — Three pairs of eyes are present, arranged in the form 

 of an arc. The anterior pair are small, and lie close together on 

 the posterior border of annulus 4. The second pair are widely 

 separated, very large, and lie on the posterior portion of annulus 

 5 and the anterior portion of annulus 6. The third pair are 

 equal in size to the second pair, and lie in close apposition to 

 them, in the posterior region of annulus 6. 



LiMNOBDELLA AUSTRALIS. 



Hirudo aust7'alisBosistOjl857 ;IIirudo quinquestriata Schmarda, 

 1861; Limnobdella quinquestriata 'Kevs\ia,\v , 1904; Hirudo novem- 

 striata Grube, 1866. 



This species is the commonest of our New South Wales leeches, 

 occurring abundantly in freshwater creeks and moist places 

 throughout the State, and extending its region of occurrence 

 into Victoria and Queensland. It has a keen biting habit, and, 

 in this connection, it is a source of much annoyance in bush 

 travelling. This is due to the large strong teeth borne in the 

 three jaws. This leech is stocked by chemists, and replaces here 

 admirably the Medicinal Leech, H. medicinalis, of Europe. 



Beyond the meagre descriptions of Bosisto, Becker, and 

 Schmarda, in addition to a few diagrams in Parker and Haswell's 

 " Text-Book," but little is known of this species. 



