44 HIRUDO. 
When this subject was obtained on July 24, many of its young were 
adhering to the belly. They were of a faint purple colour, and I rather 
think that ova or capsules also were present, but I could not ascertain 
the fact. It is always very embarrassing when animals are concealed by 
each other. 
The first of the young quitting position was on the 5th of August, 
when about a line in length, of a pale grey colour, with a head evidently 
lanceolate, like the fessel/ata, wherein eight black eyes were distinctly ex- 
posed, arranged in four pairs, fig. 23. This is an accurate representation 
of the animal. 
The form of the viscera could not be precisely discovered, owing to 
opacity of the parts. But among the same collection two small leeches 
were found, with the same number of eyes, disposed in a similar manner. 
In these, numerous ventral sacs, nearly pimnate, stood across, and were 
of a very ornate form. These small animals, between two and three lines 
long, were probably of the same species, but both so restless, that to 
obtain drawings of them proved impracticable. Indeed, no creature can 
equal the leech in this respect ; nor does it seem to me that the delinea- 
tion of living specimens has been attempted at almost any time. The 
patience and perseverence of the artists employed on those represented 
here were admirable. 
The parent was not observed to consume any kind of food ; hence 
it was soon reduced in size, and much weakened. A few of the young 
continued to separate, but the presence of so many as remained, was evi- 
dently very injurious. The animal suffered much, and its sufferings were 
aggravated from the presence of such a multitude, entirely precluding 
the application of the belly, and its adhesion to any substance whatever. 
All the young had forsaken the parent on the 8th of August, when 
they proved to be no less than sixtyin number. But the parent scarcely 
survived ; and contracting to the dimension of a quarter of an inch it 
died. 
All the young were of a flattened figure, and adhered to the side of 
the vessel. 
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