Leechlore. 361 



The following extract from M. Moquin-Tandon's work, Ele- 

 ments of Medical Zoology,* may be read with advantage by 

 those interested in checking the threatening scarcity of an 

 animal whose preservation is of so much importance to all 

 classes of society : — " M. Vayson has recently suggested a small 

 domestic marsh (a vaysonier) which will be exceedingly useful 

 to the pharmaceutist, and to persons who are desirous of rais- 

 ing leeches on a small scale. This apparatus consists of a common 

 earthen vessel having the form of a truncated cone reversed. The 

 lower part is perforated by a number of holes, but not so large 

 as to allow of the leeches passing through them ; the vessel is 

 then filled with peat earth, and a number of leeches are placed 

 upon it which embed themselves in the earth ; the upper open- 

 ing of the vessel is then covered up with a piece of coarse 

 canvas. When it is desired to send the leeches to a distance, 

 the earth is made as damp as possible, and the vessel is packed 

 in a box or wicker basket. When it is only wanted to pre- 

 serve the animals, the lower part of the vessel is placed in water 

 to the depth of about four inches, and the creatures are left to 

 themselves. In consequence of the infiltration, the lower parts 

 of the peat are soon saturated with water, while the upper por- 

 tion is almost dry. The leeches know perfectly well how to 

 choose between these two extremes the layer which is best 

 adapted for them, and form in it galleries in which they live, 

 grow, and produce their cocoons. The vaysonier will answer 

 both for the preservation, the conveyance, and reproduction of 

 leeches.'" 



There are interesting particulars relating to many other 

 genera of the leech family, such as the horse-leech, the land- 

 leech of Ceylon, the incubating leech (Glossiphonia) , but space 

 forbids further remarks. 



* Translated and Edited by E. T. Hulme. London. 1861. 



VOL. II. — NO. V. C C 



