. A catalogue of the British non-parasitical worms in the collection of the British Museum. Worms. APPENDIX. 301 Malacobdella grossa (page 35). Body 1^^ in. long, about Y%ths of an inch in breadth where broadest; oblong, flat, soft, exannulose, roughish, with little granu- lations, and of a uniform flesh- No. L.—Malacobdella ^^ a. Upper side. b. Under side. colour. On the upper side a small vessel is seen distinctly run- ning down the middle of the body, having a tortuous course, and ter- minating near the sucker ; and it lies over a much larger intestine, following the same direction
. A catalogue of the British non-parasitical worms in the collection of the British Museum. Worms. APPENDIX. 301 Malacobdella grossa (page 35). Body 1^^ in. long, about Y%ths of an inch in breadth where broadest; oblong, flat, soft, exannulose, roughish, with little granu- lations, and of a uniform flesh- No. L.—Malacobdella ^^ a. Upper side. b. Under side. colour. On the upper side a small vessel is seen distinctly run- ning down the middle of the body, having a tortuous course, and ter- minating near the sucker ; and it lies over a much larger intestine, following the same direction, and alone visible on the ventral aspect. The anterior extremity is rounded, somewhat raised above the mouth, which is placed in a sinus here, and opens chiefly on the under side ; it is wide, edentulous ; but, when opened, the inner surface appears flocculent, being clothed with longish papillae, which are arranged in close longitudinal series, and cover the whole intestinal canal. This organ is nearly of uni- form width and structure throughout; but the papillae appear to be longer towards its termination, which is by a small aperture on the back, just above the sucker. The dorsal vessel begins in a sort of swelling above the mouth ; and, after it has passed beyond the middle of the body, it becomes sensibly attenuated. It is not fibrous, and, indeed, exhibits no marked structure beyond a very fine and faint reticulation of the surface when exposed under a high magnifier. The space between the intestine and margins of the body is compactly filled with myriads of oviform bodies, which seem to lie, without any particular order, in a gelatinovis fluid: they are roundish, opake, and encircled with a rim or pellicle of transparent I have twice found this leech in specimens of Cyprina islandica dredged up in Berwick Bay. They were lurking between the cloak and branchiae, and doubtless had sought out the site for a less harm- less purpose than shelter from foes; but, so far as I
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectworms, bookyear1865
