>This conversation is making me feel a bit uncomfortable; bringing back
>early memories of being told "look at the leeches on the grass, smelling
>out your warm blood".
>
Victoria's comment leads me to ask - just exactly how do leeches detect the
presence of potential prey?
I once did some empirical tests at a small dam, surrounded by bush, that had
a good population of leeches in the dam. I though perhaps they were
attracted by one's shadow falling on the water, but no matter how I
approached the water - upwind, downwind, upsun, downsun, noiselessly as
possible - within just a couple of minutes there they were under the surfact
of the water, swimming towards me. However they were detecting me they were
doing it from under water and from a distance away.
I would have thought that heavy denier 'support' pantyhose would be a good
guard against them, but I have not tried it myself.
Ralph Reid
Sydney
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