Sketches of Natural History of Ceylon eBook

J. Emerson Tennent
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 590 pages of information about Sketches of Natural History of Ceylon.

Sketches of Natural History of Ceylon eBook

J. Emerson Tennent
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 590 pages of information about Sketches of Natural History of Ceylon.

[Illustration:  DORSAL.]

[Illustration:  VENTRAL.]

Mr. Thwaites states that there is a smaller tank leech of an olive-green colour, with some indistinct longitudinal striae on the upper surface; the crenated margin of a pale yellowish-green; ocelli as in the paddi-field leech; length, one inch at rest, three inches when extended.

Mr. E.L.  LAYARD informs us, Mag.  Nat.  Hist. p. 225, 1853, that a bubbling spring at the village of Tonniotoo, three miles S.W. of Moeletivoe, supplies most of the leeches used in the island.  Those in use at Colombo are obtained in the immediate vicinity.]

[Footnote 2:  Haemopsis paludum.  In size the cattle leech of Ceylon is somewhat larger than the medicinal leech of Europe:  in colour it is of a uniform brown without bands, unless a rufous margin may be so considered.  It has dark striae.  The body is somewhat rounded, flat when swimming, and composed of rather more than ninety rings.  The greatest dimension is a little in advance of the anal sucker; the body thence tapers to the other extremity, which ends in an upper lip projecting considerably beyond the mouth.  The eyes, ten in number, are disposed as in the common leech.  The mouth is oval, the biting apparatus with difficulty seen, and the teeth not very numerous.  The bite is so little acute that the moment of attachment, and the incision of the membrane is scarcely perceived by the sufferer from its attack.]

[Footnote 3:  Even men, when stooping to drink at a pool, are not safe from the assault of the cattle leeches.  They cannot penetrate the human skin, but the delicate membrane of the mucous passages is easily ruptured by their serrated jaws.  Instances have come to my knowledge of Europeans into whose nostrils they had gained admission and caused serious disturbance.]

* * * * *

ARTICULATA.

APTERA.

THYSANURA.

Podura albicollis.
  atricollis.
  viduata.
  pilosa.

Archoreutes coccinea.

Lepisma nigrofasciara, Temp.
  nigra.

ARACHNIDA.

Buthus afer. Linn
  Ceylonicus, Koch.

Scorpio linearis.

Chelifer librorum.
  oblongus.

Obisium crassifemur.

Phrynus lunatus, Pall.

Thelyphonus caudatus, Linn.

Phalangium bisignatum.

Mygale fasciata, Walck.

Olios taprobanius, Walck.

Nephila ... ?

Trombidium tinctorum, Herm.

Oribata ... ?

Ixodes ... ?

MYRIAPODA.

Cermatia dispar.

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Sketches of Natural History of Ceylon from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.