Leeches are furnished with the organs of both sexes; and are viviparous or produce their offspring alive. In the same manner as in the snails, their generative organs are situated near the oesophagus. They usually breed about the beginning of the spring, and as many as seventy young Leeches have been counted in the body of an old one.

Some species of Leeches are found in almost all waters; but the greater part of them prefer such as are muddy, and afford growth to numerous aquatic plants. They are common throughout the whole of Europe, but less so in the southern than the northern parts. The duration of their life has not been ascertained; but besides the general causes of mortality to which they are subject, such as the drying up, but more particularly the putrefaction (during the heats of summer,) of the waters that they inhabit, they have many enemies, which are in continual pursuit of them for food. These are chiefly different species of fish and water-fowl; but there are also numerous larvæ of water-insects, and even of perfect insects which prey upon them. Even the Leeches themselves destroy one another. Those that have been long without food fall, without mercy, upon such as are gorged, and suck out of their bodies the juices with which they are replenished. This circumstance has been particularly remarked by Vauquelin and some other naturalists.

These animals will not only suck the blood of each other, and of quadrupeds and fishes, but will fasten upon the larvæ of insects, and numerous kind of vermes, &c. that inhabit the same waters in which they live. Whenever they have opportunity, they gorge themselves tiil their stomach will contain no more. On the contrary, when food is not to be had, they are able to support life for many months without receiving any nutriment. This is particularly the case during winter, at the commencement of which they bury themselves deep in the mud; they continue in a semitorpid state, till the warmth of the ensuing spring again calls them to life, vigour and activity.

Sea-salt, tobacco, and in general all kinds of salt and acrid substances, applied to the surface of their bodies, are fatal to Leeches. Some of these are always adopted for destroying such as fasten upon a man or animal, that happens unfortunately to go into waters where they are in great numbers. When forcibly torn off, they almost always leave in the wound some part of their head. In this case the wound has often been known to fester and become a troublesome sore. We are informed by Pliny, that Messalinus, a person of consular dignity, even lost his life by an accident of this kind.

Of the Leeches employed by surgeons, in phlebotomy, that called the medicinal Leech is preferred to all others. It is, however, by no means true, that the black or horse-leech, as it is usually denominated, has any poisonous properties, notwithstanding the prejudices which, on this supposition, have long been entertained against it.

Leeches ought to be collected in the spring of the year, if possible, and should be kept in vessels of pure spring water, which must be changed very frequently, particularly in summer. If they are very numerous, they ought to have fresh water as often as twice a day; but if they are only in small quantity, once in two days may be sufficient. All the slime which accumulates upon their bodies, should be well cleaned away whenever they are kept in abundance, otherwise the new water will be tainted, and become prejudicial to them from the moment they are put into it. Violent

noises and powerful smells are alike injurious to these animals; and on the latter account, particularly, an apothecary's or druggist's shop, is one of the worst places in which they can be kept. The person employed in removing them from one vessel into another, should have his hands in every respect as clean as possible.

To be Continued.

Higgins, Printer, Dunstable,

“Он, its only my own way!" is the exclamation we often hear from persons who have given offence and are called to account for their conduct. "I have indeed behaved rudely and hurt your feelings, but you must think nothing of it; if you knew more of me you would cease to be surprised, for its only my way."

Now we intend to speak a little on these peculiar and troublesome ways. If a man really cannot act otherwise, he is of course to be pitied, as we feel for one whose intellect is impaired, or who is the victim of loathsome disease. All we can do is to avoid meeting with such cases as much as possible, and when contact is absolutely unavoidable, to exercise

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forbearance and compassion. Such ways must be classed with the other miseries of human life, and be treated accordingly. But we shall find a marked difference between these unavoidable inflictions, and the ways of which we are now speaking. Men do not intrude their defects on the notice of others; they endeavour to hide them, and often blush when they are discovered. But these troublesome ways stare

you in the face.

Their possessors seem fond of them, if we may judge by the frequency with which they tell others, Oh, its only my way!

At some parish meeting perhaps, Mr. A. will directly attack Mr. B. in language both coarse and opprobrious, so that the latter is an object of public attention, or of laughter caused by the bullying of the former. Mr. B. of course resents such treatment, when Mr. A. coolly informs him, that he must think no more of the matter, for it is his way. That is, he wishes you to understand he is always brutal; that you are not a single victim to his abuse. "I have served half the parish the same Sir, and therefore you should not be offended. I meant nothing by it, its only my way." What satisfaction Mr. B. finds in such an apology, we leave the reader to imagine; its insufficiency all must perceive. As mad dogs are shot, and maniacs chained, so these self-willed breakers of the rules of propriety, should be carefully avoided.

Some persons are habitually morose, and disposed to find fault with every body and every thing. They plead for the toleration of their crookedness, by telling us it was always the way with their family. Their fathers, and even grandfathers, were never pleased with any thing in their day, and this must justify them. The pride of ancestry is common enough, and is natural to us all, but to glory in the defects of our ancestors is fortunately a rare disposition. Those who make such a paltry excuse for their ill-tempers, should have their own principles carried out, by being clothed in the ancient habiliments of their forefathers, and exposed as a laughing-stock to the multitude. We may rest assured that although we may exculpate ourselves by saying, its only my way, that others will not do so. We must pay the being disliked and

penalty for our peculiarities by shunned.

There is a less offensive method of intruding our own way upon others, which is notwithstanding very annoying, and should be guarded against; we mean the exhibition of our plans, and our tastes, as the proper examples which all ought to follow. Miss C., wonders how any one can eat cheese which is not rotten, or game which has not come to life again. Mrs. D. thinks those of her neighbours unfit for de-, cent society whose garments are not of the same cut