THE SKATE-SUCKER. aS ( 
It is a carnivorous being, and feeds upon the common earth-worm, seizing it as it protrudes 
itself from the banks of the stream in which the Horse-leech resides. ‘There is a popular 
prejudice against the Horse-leech, the wound which it makes being thought to be poisonous. 
This, however, is clearly erroneous, and the creature has evidently been confounded with 
another species, the BLack LrEcH (Pseudobdella nigra). The Horse-leech is much larger 
than the medicinal species, and may be known by its color, which is greenish-black, whereas 
that of the medicinal leech is green, with some longitudinal bands on the back, spotted with 

































































SKATE-SUCKER.—Albidne muricaia. 
black at their edges and middle; the under surface yellowish-green edged, but not spotted 
with black. 
The figure in the accompanying illustration represents the SKATE-SUCKER, so called 
because it is found adhering to several fishes, and is especially prevalent on the common skate 
and others of the ray tribe. Almost all the species of this genus are beset with the curious 
nodules upon the rings of the body, which give to the creatures so strange an aspect. In this 
genus, moreover, the portion containing the head is quite distinct and separated from the 
body by a sort of neck. Our figure is of natural size. 
All these creatures have two modes of movement: they can crawl slowly along by means 
Vou. T1.—68. 
