314 DIPTERA. 
Mother, The leech, or hirudo, is an 
animal belonging to the class vermes^ in 
"which worms of all sorts are placed. It 
lias neither eyes, legs, nor fins, and in- 
habits ponds and ditches ; one species is 
called the horse leech, from its frequently 
attacking the legs of horses, while stand- 
ing in the water : it makes a large trian- 
gular wound, and soon fills itself with 
blood. But to return to the hippoboscae, 
which are among the most indefatigable 
enemies of horses. 
Lucy. Poor horses , to what a num- 
ber of enemies they are exposed I 
Mother, In summer and autumn the 
hippoboscae fix themselves on the thin 
and tender parts of the horses' skin, by 
means of their sharp claws, of which they 
have several on each foot ; and they ad- 
here so closely, that the poor animal 
bites and tears its flesh in fruitless en- 
deavours to rub them off. Within a 
sheath they have a proboscis, which they 
can lengthen or shorten at pleasure, and 
which, though as fine as a hair, is strong 
