338 FUNCTIONS AND INSTINCTS. 



crocodile cleanses his teeth, and thus is provided 

 with food. The latter, sensible of the benefit, 

 suffers it to depart uninjured." 1 In another 

 place, 2 he seems to speak of it as an aquatic 

 bird, yet afterwards he describes it as frequent- 

 ing shrubberies and subterranean places. 3 Whe- 

 ther this animal really attends thus upon the 

 crocodile has not been ascertained, but it would 

 be singular that such a tradition should have 

 maintained its ground so long without any foun- 

 dation. 



As a further proof that the Bdella of the 

 father of history is a true leech, and not a mos- 

 quito, as M. Geoffroy St. Hilaire, from the 

 meaning of its primitive, 4 would interpret the 

 word, it may be observed that Aristotle com- 

 pares the Bdella to an earth-worm, 5 and de- 

 scribes its peculiar motion ; and in Hesychius it is 

 said to be a kind of Scolex or worm ; Theocritus 

 also alludes to its blood- sucking propensities. 6 



That leeches infest the aquatic Saurians is 

 further evident from a letter received by Mr. R. 

 Taylor, and very kindly communicated by him 

 to me, from a friend at Calcutta, Mr. W. C. 

 Hurry, who having observed that the fauces of 

 the gigantic crane 7 were generally very full of 



i Hist. An. 1. ix. c. 6. j^id. 1. viii. c. 3. 



3 Ibid. 1. ix. c. 1 1. 4 Them. BSeXXw, to suck. 



5 De incessu animal, c. 9. 



6 Idyll, ii. line 55, he calls it A//ij'<me 



7 Ciconia Argala ? 



