328 C. O. WHITMAN. 
into water ; at least all the specimens which I have fed retired 
to wet moss and lay wholly or partially covered with water. 
Hungry specimens confined in a bottle containing a little 
water remain always above its surface. If dropped into water 
they do not swim like aquatic Leeches, but sink to the bottom 
and then creep out again. They are often found in the neigh- 
bourhood of small streams, but never in them. Although 
they have such a decided preference for terrestrial life that 
they probably never visit the water, even when it is within 
easy reach, they have not lost the power of living in it for at 
least a considerable time. One of the Singhalese specimens was 
kept in water thirty days, and this long submersion resulted in 
no perceptible injury. 
It is interesting to watch the behaviour of hungry specimens 
confined in a bottle which is kept moist by wet moss at the 
bottom. They are very quiet so long as the containing vessel 
iis left undisturbed, but they are very sensitive to any sudden 
jar or quick movement of the air. They appear to avoid the 
light and to seek the side least exposed to it. At rest the 
head and anterior half of the body are often raised as if held in 
readiness for the attack. If the bottle is opened and a puff of 
breath blown upon them, they are instantly thrown into a 
state of great excitement; after a few hasty reaches in dif- 
ferent directions have convinced them that the disturber is not 
in immediate reach, they begin to ascend; and the foremost 
among them, reaching the rim of the bottle, halt for a moment, 
standing quite erect and extended as if hesitating in which 
direction to advance; another puff or a slight jar sets them 
again in commotion, and they swing to and fro, reaching in all 
directions for the object of their search. If one attempts to 
put them back he finds them more than a match; for while 
trying to thrust one back a dozen others rush on to the hand, 
and in a few moments are scattered over the body. The best 
mode of recapturing them is to place over them an inverted 
bottle, into which they will ascend. 
In collecting it is best to use a deep bottle, and to take 
advantage of their disposition to ascend by keeping it inverted; 
