666 



Memoirs of the Indian Museum. 



[Vol. V, 



Piscicola caeca, n. sp. 



(Fig. 2.) 



In his paper Harding puts on record a note upon a leech closely resembling 

 olivacea in form and size but wholly destitute of eyes. To my mind, that note 



appears, however, to be partly applicable to the fol- 

 lowing new genus and species. The species des- 

 cribed below is based upon the material which has 

 been placed by him in my hands. The three speci- 

 mens of this new species were found attached out- 

 side close to the junction of the skin and teeth on 

 both upper and lower jaws of Hypolophus sephen 

 which was collected about eight miles S.S.-W. of Kali- 

 dai in March, 1914. In the general collection is inclu- 

 ded an example of this species, which was procured 

 near the landing stage at Rambha. 



The body is much flattened, slender and in the 

 middle of a nearly uniform breadth, though it is at- 

 tenuated more anteriorly than posteriorly. The an- 

 terior sucker is cup-shaped, almost circular and about 

 half as broad as the posterior sucker, which is also 

 circular or heart-shaped, measuring about 1 mm. in 

 diameter. In the specimens examined I have been 

 unable to demonstrate any trace of lateral pulsating 

 vesicles. The worm measures 13 mm. in length, in- 

 clusive of the suckers, and about 1 mm. in breadth. 



In the preserved specimens the rings are mer- 

 ged into irregular groups, and to obtain the correct 

 number of them is extremely difficult. But a closer 

 examination proves it to be grouped into twenty-one 

 somites, each made up of fourteen rings. 



This species is wholly devoid of eyes. No trace 

 of eye-like organs could be demonstrated even in sec- 

 tions. 



The ground colour is greyish white in spirit, 

 wihout being marked with any trace of pattern. The 

 j££$ES£2Zi%Z. crop is visible with more or less distinetness, owing 

 dorsal view. Index letters as in to the ingestion of blood. 



fig - Im On the body-wall I have nothing peculiar to 



mention, excepting enormous quantities of unicellular glands which occur all over 

 the body, just below the dermal musculature. These cells are round and far larger 

 than those found in P. olivacea. 



The organization agrees in the main with that of the preceding species. The 



