1912. | Miscellanea. 207 
suck blood to their satisfaction, for if they do so they will imme- 
diately die. This process is repeated every fortnight until they 
grow old enough for the purpose for which they are reared. Then 
this new batch of leeches is divided into two lots, (1) that which 
is to be used for medicine and (2) that which is reserved for 
breeding. The latter are called ‘seed leeches’ and are kept in 
water which is regularly changed at intervals until the next 
breeding season sets in, during this period no blood is given 
to them. They are never used for money-making, for leeches 
once used for such a purpose are believed to lose their power of 
breeding. 
Whenever the leeches are prescribed for medicine the Chohra 
(breeder) is sent for. He brings with him only those leeches that 
have not been used for two or three weeks and applies some of 
them to the intended part. The leeches at once begin to suck in 
blood with avidity, but if the blood has become mixed with pus 
they will immediately drop down. [If it is not they will suck on 
till they fall down filled with impure blood, when they seem to 
lose all energy and look very dull and inactive. The breeder then 
takes these leeches one by one and pricks it with a needle just 
near the mouth on the middle line on the back and slowly 
squeezes out the blood commencing from the tail to the opening 
made by the needle. This, however, does not kill the leeches. 
When the trial is over the leeches are thoroughly rubbed by the 
hands which probably relieves them to some extent of the strain 
caused by squeezing, and restored to the water for future use. 
The breeders are of opinion that the wild leeches do not breed 
in captivity until perhaps long used to it and it is even difficult 
to confine them unless they are carefully packed. Their bite 
when used for medicine is unbearable to the patient. This is not 
the case with the domesticated ones, the bite of which is compara- 
tively less painful, much like that of an ant. 
The leeches can be kept alive for many years if the water in 
which they are kept is occasionally changed, but those that have 
been used for medicine can hardly live for more than a year. 
M. Mousin Kaan. 
INSECTS. 
THE HABITS OF SOME TIGER-BEETLES FROM ORISSA.—Many 
species of tiger-beetles, though they may have a wide geographical 
distribution, are curiously particular in their choice of habitat. A 
well-known instance of this is Cicindela biramosa, Fabr., which lives 
only on the seashore, a fact sufficiently noticeable at such a place as 
Puri on the Orissa coast, but much more so near Balyghai, a few 
miles further north. Here the sandy beach on which alone this 
species lives slopes sharply up for a distance of perhaps twenty or 
thirty yards and then ends abruptly in a low wall of sand evidently 
produced by the action of high tides.!. This wall forms the outer- 
1 I have only visited the place once as yet; this was towards the end E 
August IgII. 
