WORMS. 



235 



illustration. Clepsine is remarkable because it carries its young about for some time 

 attached to its belly. Pontohdella is a marine representative of the family, noticeable 

 on account of the large size of the anterior sucker and' the warts over its body. This 

 greenish-gray leech lives on rays, and is apparently a lazy creature with dull senses. 

 Its powerful muscles enable it to fasten itself upon a rock and sustain its body 

 in a horizontal position for a long time, but it prefers to hang down, with the head 

 rolled up. 



Leeches are related to fisheries in three ways. Some of the large, blood-sucking 

 forms, such as Macrobdella and Ilirudo, attack many fishes directly, even when of con- 

 siderable size, and destroy them very quickly by sucking their blood ; some genera, 

 like Icthyobdella and Cystobranchus, are true parasites, and often, when numerous, do 

 the fish great injury. Others, among which belong Glepsine and Nephelis, desti-oy 

 small molluscs and worms, which might otherwise become the food of fishes. On the 

 other hand, the leeches are in their turn fed upon by the white fish of the lakes, and 

 probably other fishes (Verril). 



Here we must close, although we would gladly narrate the biographies of Malacob- 

 della, Jiranchiobdella, Hisiriobdella and Acanthobdella — but we must leave the four 

 'Bdella's in the stables ; we have driven far and rapidly through a large province of 

 nature's realm, pausing to catch glimpses of a few of her "sights;" let us hope 

 not to be of those travellers who " do " a country onlj^ to forget its appearance and 

 character. 



Charles S. Minot. 



'cirrus eximiuSf a tube worm witli extended tentacles. 



