Entomological Botany. 5135 



a murex and seized that end of the worm which was still at liberty. I like to be pre- 

 cise, and gladly would I inform my readers which of the assailants possessed itself of 

 the worm's head and which of its tail ; but the clew to this discovery is lost for ever. 

 After a short tussle the greater strength of the perch became very manifest; he swam 

 deliberately and majestically round and round the tank with the leech in tow, the poor 

 worm stretched out to double his natural length and a fourth of his natural substance 

 serving as tow-line. Being very desirous of knowing what was the object of the leech, 

 I made the perch relinquish his hold, and the leech and worm at once descended to 

 the bottom, there rolling over and over, and the worm again writhing in apparent pain. 

 In a few minutes it became evident that the worm was decreasing in length and the 

 leech increasing in thickness; the worm was in fact in course of transfer to the stomach 

 of the leech ; in ten minutes the worm was swallowed all but one end, which became 

 very pointed and was in constant motion, seemingly feeling about for something to 

 take hold of ; and, but for the difference in colour, really looking like an integral part 

 of the leech, reminding me very forcibly of the finger at the extremity of an elephant's 

 trunk. This last portion at length disappeared, and the whereabouts of the worm was 

 only indicated by the heaving and undulating skin of the overgorged leech. Now 

 this worm-swallowing propensity on the part of the leech was known to Cuvier, who 

 speaks of its feeding on " lombrics," but Linneus gives it the faculty of blood-sucking, 

 and was, I believe, the author of the stereotyped, but very apocryphal assertion, that 

 nine of these leeches will kill a horse: I incline to the opinion of Huzard, who, in 

 the 'Journal de Pharmacie,' asserts that it never attacks a vertebrate animal. — 

 Edward Newman. 



Entomological Botany {with more especial reference to the Plants 

 frequented by the Tineina). By H. T. Stainton, Esq. 



(Continued from page 5012). 



Rubus Idaeus (continued). 



Mr. Hardy has met with the curious larva of Chrysocorys festaliella 

 on this plant, but I mention it more in detail under the " Common 

 Bramble," on which I have found it myself. The only other larva I 

 have to mention is a Nepticula discovered by Professor Frey, at 

 Zurich, and which he has named splendidissima ; it somewhat 

 resembles aurella, but has a black head and perpendicular fascia. 



It is hardly likely another twelvemonth will elapse without our 

 finding it here. 



