8o NATURAL HISTORY OF BRITISH FRESH-WATER LEECHES. 
ditches and sluggish streams, chiefly among aquatic plants. 
Its favourite food is the larva of Chironomus (“ Bloodworm ”). 
The whole contents of the body are sucked out and the empty 
skin left. It is said to attack small worms, injured fish, frogs- 
and newts. It is able to creep along by the aid of the surface 
film. The eggs are laid in May and June and are attached to 
the body of the parent. 
Distribution. — Britain :—Walthamstow Reservoirs ; Higham’s- 
Park; R. Stort; R. Roding, near Abridge; Chigwell Row; 
Botanic Gardens, Regent’s Park; Totteridge; R. Chess; 
Seven Arches, Leeds ; R. Wharfe, near Grassington (H. W.) ; 
R. Porter, Yorks (Evans, 15); near Carlisle (Friend, 17) ; Holy 
Island Lough (Johnston, 32); Bavelaw, near Edinburgh (H- 
W.) ; Scilly Isles (W. Blair). 
Ireland :—Lough Neagh (Thompson, 42) ; Co. Antrim ; Co.. 
Fermanagh ; Co. Dublin (Scharff, 39). 
Foreign ;—Germany (Johannson, 30) ; S. Norway (Jensen, 
29) ; Italy, Spain, North and Central Europe (Blanchard, 7); 
Western Asia ; United States from Atlantic to Pacific coasts 
and S. America (for references see Harding, loc. cit., p. 164). 
Haemopis sanguisuga L. (=Aulastomum gulo). The Horse 
Leech. Plate VII., Fig. 10. 
Description .—Body elongate, slightly flattened. Dorsal surface gener¬ 
ally of uniform tint, brownish or greenish. There is often a lateral yellow¬ 
ish band and the ventral surface is of a yellowish grey colour, spotted with 
irregular black, patches. Young individuals are of a grayish tint, finelv 
speckled with black, and have a faint geometrical pattern on the dorsal 
surface. -Length from 100-150 mm., and breadth from 8-12 mm. 
Five pairs of eyes are present. The anus pierces the last ring (cf. Hirudo 
medicinalis and Trocheta subviridis). 
Habits. —This species is to be found in the mud of ponds and 
slow streams. It frequently leaves the water for the purpose 
of depositing its cocoons, or for obtaining food. It is unable 
to draw blood from a mammal and lives chiefly upon earth¬ 
worms, aquatic larvae and any other small creatures that it 
can capture and swallow. It will also suck weak frogs and. 
newts. This species has been confused by earlier writers with 
Hirudo medicinalis and Limnatis nilotica, both of which are 
able to pierce the skin of horses, cattle and human beings. The 
cocoons are about 15 mm. long and 12 mm. broad and are sur¬ 
rounded by spongy tissue. 
