H 1 R 
ii i n 
found on trout and other fish after the spawn- 
ing season. 
4. The muricata, or muricated leech, has 
a taper body, rounded at the greater extre- 
mity, and furnished with two small tentacula, 
or horns, strongly annulated and rugged 
upon the rings, the tail dilated. It inhabits 
the Atlantic ocean, and is by the fishermen 
called the sea-leech. It adheres to fish, and 
generally leaves a black mark on the spot. 
The mouth of the leech is armed with a 
sharp in trument that makes three wounds at 
once, and may be compared to the body of 
the pump, and the tongue or fleshy nipple to 
the sucker ; by the working of this piece of 
mechanism the blood is made to rise up to the 
conduit which conveys it to the animal’’ sto- 
mach, which is a membranaceous skin divided 
into 24 ceils. The blood which is sucked 
out is there preserved for several months, al- 
most without coagulating, and proves a store 
of provision to the animat. The nutritious 
parts, pure and already dig: ded by animals, 
have no call to be disengaged from the hete- 
rogeneous substances : nor indeed is there an 
anus discoverable in the leech ; mere trans- 
piration seems to be all that it performs, the 
matter fixing on the surface of its body, and 
afterwards coming off in small threads. Of 
this an experiment may be tried by putting a 
leech into oil, where it keeps alive for several 
days ; upon being taken out and put into wa- 
ter, theie appears to loosen from its body a 
kind of slough shaped like the creature’s 
body. The organ of respiration, though un- 
ascertained, seems to be situated in the 
mouth ; for if, like an insect, it drew its breath 
through vent-holes, it would not subsist in 
oil, as by it they would be stopped up. 
It is only the first species that is used in 
medicine, being applied to the skin in order 
to draw off blood. With this view they are 
employed to phlebotomise young children. 
If the leech does not fasten, a drop of sugar- 
ed milk is put on the spot it is wished to fix 
on, or a little blood is drawn by means ot a 
slight puncture, after which it immediately 
settles. The leech when fixed should be 
watched, lest it should find its way into the 
anus when used for the hemorrhoids, or pe- 
netrate into the oesophagus if employed to 
draw the gums, as it would make great havoc 
in the stomach or intestines. In such a case, 
the best and quickest remedy is to swallow 
some salt ; which is the method practised to 
make it loose its hold when it sucks longer 
than was intended. Salt of tartar, volatile 
alkali, pepper, and acids, make it also leave 
the part on which it was applied. Cows and 
horses have been known to receive them, in 
drinking, into the throat. The usual remedy 
is to force down som£ salt, which makes them 
fall off. The discharge occasioned by the 
puncture of a leech is usually of more service 
than the process itself. When too abund- 
' ant it is easily stopped with brandy, vinegar, 
or other styptics, or with a compress of dry 
linen rag bound strongly on the bleeding 
orifice. 
At Ceylon, travellers who walk bare-legged 
are molested by the great numbers of leeches 
concealed under the grass. All leeches vary 
in their colours at some seasons, but they are 
generally of a dusky greenish-brown or yel- 
low, and often variegated. They are said to 
be very restless before a change of weather, 
if confined in glasses. 
H I R 
HIRUNDO, in ornithology, a genus oj 
birds of the order of passeres. 1 here are 37 
species, chiefly distinguished by their colour. 
The most remarkable are, 
1. The rustica, common or chimney-swal- 
low, is distinguished trom all the other species 
by the superior forkiness of its tail, and by 
the red spot on the forehead and under the 
chin. The crown of the head, the whole 
upper part of the body, and the coverts ot 
the wings, are black, glossed with a rich pur- 
plish blue, most resplendent in the male : the 
breast and belly whffe, and in the male tinged 
with red. The food of this swallow is the 
same with the others ot its kind, viz. insects. 
For the taking of these, in their swiftest 
flight, nature has admirably contrived their 
several parts : their mouths a: e very wide to 
take in Hies, &c. in their quickest motions ; 
their wings are long, and adapted for distant 
and continual flight ; and their tails are fork- 
ed, to enable them to turn the readier in pur- 
suit of their prey. This species is the first 
comer of all the British hirundines ; and ap- 
peals in general on or about the 13th of 
April, though now and then a straggler is 
seen much earlier. 1 his hirundo, though 
called the chimney-swallow, by no means 
builds altogether in chimneys, but often with- 
in barns and out-houses against the rafters ; 
and so she did in Virgil’s time.' In Sweden 
she builds in barns, and is called iadu swala, 
the barn-swallow. Besides, in the warmer 
parts of Europe there are no chimneys to 
houses except they are English built : in 
these countries she constructs her nest in 
porches, and gateways, and galleries, and 
open halls. Here and there a bird may affect 
some odd and peculiar place ; but in general 
with us this species breeds in chimneys, and 
loves to haunt those stacks where there is a 
constant fire, no doubt lor the sake of 
warmth. Not that it can subsist in the imme- 
diate shaft where there is a fire, but prefers 
one adjoining to that of the kitchen, and dis- 
regards the perpetual smoke of that funnel. 
Her nest consists, like that of the house-mar- 
tin, of a crust or shell composed of dirt or 
mud, mixed with short pieces of straw to 
render it tough and permanent ; with this 
difference, the shell of the martin is nearly he- 
mispheric, that of the swallow is open ait the 
top, and like half a deep dish : this nest is 
lined with fine grasses, and feathers which are 
often collected as they tloat in the air. 
This bird lays from four to six white eggs, 
dotted with red specks ; and brings out her 
first brood about the last week in June, or the 
first week in J uly. The progressive method 
by which the young are introduced into life 
is very curious: first, they emerge from the 
shaft with difficulty enough, and often tall 
down into the rooms below ; for a day or 
two they are fed on the chimney-top, and 
then are conducted to the dead leafless bough 
of some tree, where, sitting in a row, they 
are attended with great assiduity, and may 
be then called perchers. In a day or two 
more they become flyers, but are still unable 
to take their own food ; therefore they play 
about near the place where the dams are 
hawkins >or flies ; and when a mouthful is 
collected, at a certain signal given, the dam 
and the nestling advance, rising towards 
each other, and meeting at an angle; the 
young one all the while uttering such a little 
quick note of gratitude and complacency, 
©i 7 
that a person must have paid very little re* 
gard to the wonders of nature that has not 
often remarked this feat. The dam betakes 
herself immediately to the business ot a se- 
cond brood as soon as she is disengaged irom 
her first ; which she at once associates with 
the first broods of house-martins, and with 
them congregates, clustering on sunny roofs, 
towers, and trees. This hirundo brings out 
her second brood towards the middle and end 
of August. 
Each species of hirundo drinks as it flies 
along, sipping the surface of the water ; but 
the' swallow alone, in general, washes on the 
wing, by dropping into a pool for many times 
together: in very hot weather house-martins 
anti bank-martins dip and wash a little. The 
swallow is a delicate songster, and in soft 
sunny weather sings both perching and fly- 
incr ; on trees in a kind ot concert, and on 
clnmney-tops. Horsemen on wide downs 
are often closely attended by a little party of 
swallows for miles together, which plays be- 
fore and behind them, sweeping around, and 
collecting ail the sculking insects that are 
roused by the trampling of the horses’ feet: 
when the wind blows hard, without this ex- 
pedient, they are forced to settle to pick up 
their lurking prey. 
This species feeds much on little coleop- 
tera, as well as on gnats and flies; and often 
settles on dug-ground, or pats, for gravel to 
grind and digest its food. Mr. White informs 
us, that before they depart, for some weeks, 
to a bird, they forsake houses and chimneys, 
and roost in trees; and usually withdraw about 
the beginning ot October ; though some few 
stragglers may be seen at times till the first 
week in November. Mr. Pennant says, that 
for a few days previous to their departure, 
they assemble in vast flocks on house-tops, 
churches, and trees, whence they take their 
flight. They are supposed to take up their 
winter-quarters in Senegal and parts adja 
cent, and seem to possess in turn the whole 
of the old continent, being known from Nor- 
way to the Cape of Good Hope on the one 
hand, and from Kamtschatka to India and 
Japan on the other. They are also found in 
all parts of North America, migrating north 
and south, as with us. 
2. The esculenta, or edible swallow, ac- 
cording to Buffon, is less than the wren, and 
only two inches and a quarter in length. The 
bill' is black; the upper parts of the body are 
brown, the under whitish; the tail is forked, 
and each feather of it is tipped with white; 
the legs are brown. See Plate Nat. Hist, 
fig. 228. 
' The most curious part of the natural his- 
tory of this bird consists in the nest, which is 
composed of such materials as render it not 
onl} edible, but one of the greatest dainties 
of the Asiatic epicures. 
These nests are found in vast numbers in 
certain caverns, in various isles in the Soolo 
Archipelago, situated between longitude 1 17 
and 120, latitude 5 and?; particularly in 
three small isles, or rather rocks; in the ca- 
verns of which the nests are found fixed to 
the siefles in astonishing numbers. Of these 
nests, it is said the Dutch alone export from 
Batavia 1000 pickles, upwards of 13001b. 
English weight, every year, which are brought 
from the islesof Cochin China, and those lying 
to the east of them. 
