CEYLON LAND LEECH 47 



Whilst sucking, abundant watery fluid issues 

 from the epidermal glands of the Ceylon land 

 leech, so copious that it may flow off the arm, 

 upon which it happens to be feeding, like water. 

 The glands occur on epidermal papillae which 

 are retractile, and can be protruded simultaneously 

 like a flush passing over the body. No spilling 

 of blood takes place normally ; but if some be 

 taken and mounted in a drop of the epidermal 

 fluid, the red corpuscles become aggregated 

 together to form the characteristic rouleaux, 

 whilst retaining their shape and healthy appear- 

 ance. The fluid is perfectly clear, like the 

 aqueous humour of the vertebrate eye, and forms 

 an excellent medium for the examination of fresh 

 blood. 



In the Japanese land leech a similar fluid is 

 stated to issue from the nephridial pores. I have 

 not seen this in Ceylon ; but when a feeding leech 

 is turgid with blood, the nephridiopores become 

 clearly visible, fourteen pairs situated in the lower 

 half of the lateral pale bands at the posterior 

 borders of the segments, the space of five annuli 

 intervening between successive pores. There 

 are three segments or fifteen annuli in front of 

 the first pore ; the posterior, nuchal eyes appear 

 to lie on the second annulus. The erectile 

 papillae are arranged in a single row across each 

 annulus. Certain of these papillae have a special 

 character and occur in longitudinal rows, lying 



