Four species of minute land 

 snails. The smaller figures in- 

 dicate the natural size. 1, Zoni- 

 toides arboreus; 2, Vitrea harn- 

 monis; 3, Vitrea indentata; 4, 

 Zonitoides minusculus. (Morse.) 



Leaving the old log which we had turned over, we walked through 

 the woods for a short distance, and soon came to another fallen tree, 

 whose trunk was so rotten that it fell to pieces when we touched it. 

 Breaking away the softer outside portion we soon found a part of the 

 wood which was fairly alive with small, glassy snails less than a quarter 

 of an inch in diameter, like those in the accompanying figure. These 



little shells, together with the Pupa, love to 

 nestle under the loose bark of trees and in 

 rotting trunks and stumps, such as we had 

 just examined. The larger shells, like the 

 white-lipped snail, hide under fallen tree 

 trunks, among dead leaves, and in almost any 

 other place affording protection from the sun. 

 " Should we wish to see them crawling 

 about and very active," said Professor Parker, 

 " we must visit the woods just after a rain, 

 when, in some localities, almost every bush, 

 tree trunk, or stump will bear one- of these 

 animals. Moisture is an essential to their 

 welfare, and they will not voluntarily live 

 where the ground is dry. For this reason 

 they are seldom found in forests of spruce and pine. Also a region 

 where there is considerable limestone will produce larger and finer 

 shells than one where this mineral is absent, because the limestone is 

 necessary for the formation of the shell. A locality where there is 

 a great quantity of quartz or flint is not conducive to the growth 

 of land snails and few will be found in such regions. No land snail 

 will live where sand, ashes, or lime, in a pure state, are found." 



We ate our lunch on the mossy bank of a little stream, which ran 

 merrily along over its rocky bed, and fell in tiny waterfalls as it tumbled 

 over a ledge of rock. The forest rose on either side and the trees 

 almost met overhead. At noon, the sun shone brightly through the 

 boughs above, which cast fantastic shadows on the leafy carpet beneath 

 the trees. Here indeed was a spot which needed the pen of the poet to 

 do justice to its charms. After eating our lunch, we explored the 

 stream for evidences of life. We did not have to search long, for Harry 

 soon gave a glad shout, which told us plainly that he had discovered 

 something of importance, and we saw him busily engaged in picking 

 something from the leaves of the vegetation on the edge of the stream. 

 A nearer approach showed the object to be a snail with a long, 

 graceful, yellowish shell. Looking about, we saw hundreds of them 



30 



