A DAY WITH THE POND SNAILS 



Limnaaa desidiosa, 

 a small pond snail 

 (Binney.) 



A few clays after the collecting trip recorded in 

 the preceding chapter, Professor Parker and our 

 quartette of young naturalists again visited the coun- 

 try in search of fresh-water snails. 



This time a different direction was taken, and 

 a locality visited which was not at such a great 

 distance from the city. This was reached by an electric-car ride of half 

 an hour. It was a beautiful spot. A creek wended its way through 

 a small ravine, which was overhung by tall, majestic trees. The banks 

 were grassy and bordered by sedges, willows, and various shrubs. The 

 little creek ran merrily along, now dancing over a pebbly bottom and 

 again flowing sluggishly between steep banks, until it joined its waters 

 with those of a large river. Here was one of Dame Nature's choicest 

 retreats, and we proposed to wrest some of her secrets from her. 



After leaving the car, a walk of ten minutes brought us to the 

 river, which Professor Parker desired us to examine before going 

 to the creek. Harry was so anxious to secure the first specimen that 

 he rushed on ahead 'and stooped over the bank, earnestly peering into 

 the water. Suddenly, with a cry of exultation, he held up to view 

 several large specimens. A nearer approach showed them to be living 

 specimens of the large pond snail, Limncea stagnalis, and all hastened 

 to examine the animals. Professor Parker took a specimen in his hand 

 and showed us the principal characteristics of 

 the mollusk. The shell of this snail was long 

 and graceful and of a rich horn color. The spire 

 was very much elevated and tapered to a point ; 

 the whorls w T ere much longer than wide, and 

 separated by a distinct suture. The aperture 

 was wide and very large, and the peristome, 

 or outer lip, was thin and sharp, like that of most 

 fresh-water shells. The colnmella, which means 

 little column, was covered with a deposit of 

 shelly matter, and the umbilicus was indicated 

 by a little chink, or fissure. 



11 



Pond snail, showing dif- 

 ferent parts of shell, a, apex; 

 sp, spire ; s, suture ; ap, aper- 

 ture ; p, peristome ; c, colu- 

 mella ; Iw, last whorl ; u, um- 

 bilical region. 



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