NATURAL HISTORY. 205. 
The gourd Worm, is two thirds of an inch in length, when full grown, 
and its breadth is nearly equal to two thirds of its length: the fkin is 
foft and whitifh, with a tin@ure of brown; and the fhape is flattifh, 
but a little rounded on the back, and it has two rows of eight deep 
longitudinal furrows: the hinder part of the body is roundith, and at 
the other extremity it has a large mouth. It is not unlike ‘the feed of 
the common gourd, from whence it has its name. It is fometimes met 
with in the inteftines of men, and other animals. : 
The common Leech, is a water infect, having the figure of a i} : 
Worm, and it is as long as a man’s little finger: the mouth is furnif 
ed with three fharp ftrong teeth, with which it is capable of piercing, 
not only the fkin of a man, but alfo that of a horfe and ox. It has a 
{mall head, and a black fkin, edged with a yellow line on each fide, © 
and the belly is a little reddith; it has alfo fome yellowith {pots on the 
back. It produces its young alive, which is only one at a time, in the 
month of Fuly. It is made ufe of to draw blood, and mutt be kept in 
clean water a few days before it is made ufe of for that purpofe: they 
will fuck the blood till they are almoft'ready to burft, and then fall off; 
but they, will fometimes continue on too long, and then if a little falt 
is thrown upon their bodies, they will let go their hold. 
The horfe Leech, is larger than the former, and has a fmooth glofly . 
fin, black on the back, {potted with grey: the belly is of the colour 
of thefe fpots, with a tin@ure. It is common in ponds and rivers. — 
The fnail Leech, is about an inch in length, and of a very flat fhapes 
its fkin is fmooth and glofly, and of a whitifh colour: the back is a 
little raifed, and the fides fo thin, and they look as if they had an edge. 
It is common on ftones, and at the bottoms of puddles of water. 
The broad tailed Leech, grows to an inch and a half in length, and 
has a fmooth glofly fkin, of a dufky brown colour: the back is raifed 
into a fort of ridge, but the belly is flat, and the tail remarkably broad, 
with which it fticks to ftones very ftrongly. It is common on {tones in 
fhallow running waters. 
The black naked Snail, is fomewhat in the thape of a cylinder, and 
perforated on the fide; and it has four feelers, on two of which there 
feem to be eyes. It is about three inches long, half an inch in diame- 
ter, and the head and tail are fmaller than the middle; the back is 
~ convex, the belly flat, and the whole body is furrowed and wrinkled very 
confiderably. It is all over of a deep black colour, except the belly, 
which is fomewhat grey: the feelers are not always vifible, for it thrults 
them out occafionally, and the body is covered with a fort of flime, 
fomewhat like that of an Eel. It is of both fexes, and can impregnate, 
and be impregnated at the fame time. It is common im the woods, and 
under hedges, and is fornetimes feen in cellars, and other cool places, 
efpecially indamp weather, : 
The reddith Snail, is about two inches long, and is fmaller in pro- 
portion, than the black Snail; its body is covered with a great number 
of flight furrows or wrinkles, and it is all over of a dufky red except. 
on the belly, where itis of alight grey. It is covered with a thick 
flime, and moves along very flowly, always leaving a track behind it, 
made with the flime, which dries into a thin gloffy film. 
The yellow fpotted Suai/, when full grown, ‘is about an inch and a 
half long, swith a prominent back, a hollowith body, and a fall head. 
All 
