WORMS, 



U3 



small semi-oval tubercles arranged in a triangle, the upper 

 edge of each tubercle being cut into minute but sharply 

 serrate teeth. When a vacuum is made beneath the an- 

 terior sucker, these tubercles are brought into close con- 

 tact with the skin of the patient : proper muscles then 

 move them to and fro in a saw-like fashion, when the 

 minute teeth presently cut through the skin and superfi- 

 cial vessels, and the blood flows profusely, under the at- 

 mospheric pressure, into the stomach of the Leech. 



It is very remarkable that blood is not the natural food 

 of the Leech ; and that the fluid which it so greedily 

 swallows does not pass into the intestine, but remains in 

 the stomach for many months ; and, what is still more 

 curious, it does not coagulate during the whole of that 

 time, as it would do in an hour if exposed to the air, but 

 continues to retain its fluidity. Hence it has been not 

 unreasonably concluded that this habit is rather a special 

 provision ordained by the Divine mercy to render these 

 creatures subservient to the alleviation of human suffering 

 than necessary to supply the wants of the animals them- 

 selves. 



We must not, however, suppose that the " convenience, 

 health, or safety" of "man is the only object of the crea- 

 tive wisdom of God. There are numberless provisions 

 expressly made for the comfort and wellbeing of the in- 

 ferior creatures themselves ; and no creature is so mean, 

 worthless, or humble, but it has been the object of His 

 paternal care in multitudinous instances, a few of which 

 only, doubtless, we are cognisant of. Two or three ex- 

 amples of benevolent foresight and curious contrivance 

 have been mentioned in this paper, and the enumeration 



