SEED-MASS ЕТС. OF HELLEBORUS F(ETIDUS. 443 
As already hinted, the question presented itself to me whether the masses 
really attract the snails or are eaten merely because they come in their way, 
and Т took the following steps in order to secure some evidence upon this 
point. 
I cleared the snails out as far as I could 
and, I believe, completely—for 
about a yard all round the plants, and the number I removed was astonishing, 
especially from an ivy-clad wall behind the Hellebores, which bounded the 
area in that direction. I then examined the plants themselves and found 
that there were three snails sheltering in them, and, what I had not noticed 
before, that some of the immature follicles had been nibbled through and the 
developing strips eaten—so I left these three, to see if I could catch them in 
the act. This was on July 11th. I shook three fresh masses from the plants 
and placed them on the ground. At 9 р.м. one snail was feeding on ап 
unripe follicle. Т cannot help admiring the strength of the molluscan 
stomach ; for, in handling these fruits to examine the immature elaiosome, 
I made my fingers so sore with the acrid juice that they smarted for three 
days afterwards, and the skin of my thumbs was killed and subsequently 
peeled off. I went out again the same evening at 9.30: the snail was still 
feeding, and there were two others on the ground close to the base of the 
plants. Believing them to be the other two which had taken shelter therein, 
I removed ali three, so as to be sure that any later visitors must come from 
a greater distance. At 11 P.M. there were none, but at midnight one snail 
was feeding on one of the masses and there were two more on the ground a 
few inches off. At 7.45 the next morning two of the three masses were 
broken up into single seeds, but the third was intact. These snails were old 
ones, and Т do not think that I could have overlooked them if they had been 
in the cleared area before dark. 
By way of getting more evidence, I turned again to my captive. I already 
had some reason for thinking that there was not much to choose between the 
Chrysanthemum-leaf and the Hellebore's elaiosome, but that he preferred the 
latter to Viola odorata. Now, in addition to the Ivy, the plants growing in 
the border within the square yard are a perennial Helianthus (of which Нейл 
aspersa is very fond), Tropwolum majus, Primula vulgaris, Coronilla varia, 
Ribes aureum, Crrewa lutetiana, Potentilla atro-sanguinea, a perennial Solidago, 
Bellis perennis, and Buxus sempervirens. From previous experiments I know 
that snails will not eat Ivy, that they do not touch Primrose-leaves unless they 
be pretty old ones and food scarce; neither will they eat Circæa, perhaps on 
account of its raphides, nor yet the Box, even if there be nothing else. 
On the first night (July 12th) I gave my captive a sample of all these 
plants, and I added one Helleborus mass. At 11.15 p.m. it had eaten part of 
the Tropæolum-leaf and part of the ZZelianthus-leaf. I watched it until 
midnight : it went from the //elianthus to the Hellebore and then back to 
the Tropaolum, and when I went to bed it was again on the seeds. The next 
