Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-07-09
Land-Leeches.

A TRAVELLER in Assam, Mr.. T. T..
Cooper, describes as follows the land
lecchcs which abound in the forests of
that country: "Of all the hardships and
unpleasant sensations experienced in the
Assam jungles none have left a more dis.
agreeable recollection than the attacks OF
land.leeches. Often on sitting down L
could count a dozen of these little ami
mails hurrying from ali directions to their
prey. In length they are about an inch,
while their thickness does not exceed
that of an ordinary sewing needle. Their
mode of progression is very curious.
Fixing one extremity, by means of its
bell-shaped sucker, firmly on IA leaf or on
the ground the leech curves itself into
an arch, and the other end is then. adj
vanced till the creature resembles loop,
again to expand into an arch, but the
movement Is quicker than words can de-
scribe; the rapidity with which they get
over the ground Is quite startling AS
they occasionally rear themselves per,
pendicularly and sway about from side
to side, taking a survey round them in
quest of prey, the observer cannot fail to
conceive dread of the blood.thirsty lit
tie creatures. could never resist watch
ing them whenever | took seat. At
first they would hold themselves erect,
then suddenly as though they had just
discovered my whereabouts, they would
throw themselves forward, and with
quick, eager strides make toward me.
Another kind OF leech found in Assam is
the hairleech, so called from its great
length and extreme tenuity. 1t lies in
wait in the grass, and as animals feed en-
tar hai nj "
in the interior, where 1t takes up perma-
nent quarters, causing the poor beasts
great irritation. II does not appear to
attack human beings"
The Assam land-leech is not so formi-
dable pest, however, as the horse-leech
of Ceylon According to Sir Emerson
rennent, the Ceylon land-leech Is about
an inch in length, and az fine as a COM
mon knitting needle, but capable Of dis
tension to the thickness of quill, and a
length of nearly two inches. 1t can in
sinuate itself through the meshes of
the finest stocking. 1t Is always ready
TO assail passing traveller or quadruped.
The coffee planters are obliged to wear
"leech CATERS of closcly-woven cloth
| for protection. "On every twig and
grass blade" says Wood, "the land.
leeches sit, stretching out their long
| bodies toward the coming prey, and
Fastening after the traveller with direful
speed Instinctively they make for the
unprotected parts. They crawl rapidly up
his clothes, they insinuate themselves
into his neck, his coat sleeves and his
boots and wherever a patch of bare skin
can be found there a small colony OF
| leeches is sure to hang"
| The glass tubes used in thermom
eters come in lengths of about a yard
each, and are broken into the required
| pieces by taps with hard $ feel knife. Each
| piece then goes TO workman, who heats
one end with blow-pipe and, by means
of hollow india-rubber ball at the other
end, blows the required bulb; while this
| bulb Is still hot the tube is inverted i'm
mercury, which, as the bulb cools, partly
| fills the tube. Then the tube il with
| drawn, an india-rubber tube filed with
mercury Is attached to its open end, and
the bulb heated again. BY this second
| application of heat all air is expelled
from the mercury, and, as the vapor OF
mercury condenses, that in the india
| rubber tube takes its place, Then the
| open end of the glass tube is Theoretically
| sealed, the degrees are ascertained by
planging the bulb into melting ice and
baths of varied heats, and the instrument
is marked and ready for its metallic
| frame.
The Paris Moaite,,r holds England re
sponsible for the escape of Rochefort and
his companions, and declares that the
British Government cannot refuse to en-
ter upon an inquiry as to whether one OF
its subjects, in assisting convicts to escape
has not transgressed international law.
THE explosion of 1000 pounds of nitro
glycerine In the Government magazine
four miles above Shreveport, La, scared
the people worse than the yellow fever
! did, but no one was killed by it.