larly the slugs, and during the day it remains concealed in burrows 

 in the earth. Testacella is quite long-lived, as snails go, its duration 

 of life being about six years. 



"A genus allied to Testacella, and having the same predaceous habits, 

 but protected by a large shell into which the animal can withdraw, 

 is the Oleacina, or Glandina. The shell is long, with a narrow aper- 

 ture, and an elevated, dome-shaped spire; the animal is long and nar- 

 row, and the head near the mouth is furnished with a pair of elongated 

 lips, which may be used as tentacles. The South American species 

 feed upon the larger mollusks, as the fiidimus, and the aperture 

 of each intended victim's shell is carefully examined before any 

 attempt is made to enter. When the ' tiger ' is satisfied that its 

 victim is really within, it will enter the aperture and devour the 

 animal. Sometimes it will make a hole for itself in the shell of 

 its victim, and will eat the contents through this aperture instead 

 of the natural one. In Florida, the Glandina preys upon the large 

 pulmonates, as Liguus and Orthalicus. 



" Still another land shell with tigerish habits is the Circinaria, which 

 has a flat, spiral shell. A species in California reaches a diameter of one 

 inch; but the species found in the eastern and central parts of the 

 United States are not much over half an inch in diameter, and are 

 very common in some localities. It is a perfect cannibal, and will 

 quickly ' clean out ' a snailery of half a dozen or more Helices. Thrust- 

 ing out its long, narrow body, it crawls into the shells of its victims, 

 and no matter how far the latter may contract within their shells, 

 it is of no avail against the carnivorous appetite of Cirdnaria. It 

 preys upon its own as well as upon other species, thus being in truth 

 a cannibal. 



" In this case," said Professor Parker, pointing to a large upright 

 case in one corner of the gallery, " preserved in alcohol, is a collection 

 of slugs, or snails without external shells. These animals are very 

 common in Europe, where they 

 attain a large size. They are rather 

 solitary in habit, living in the 

 woods under fallen trees and 

 stones. Some species live near the 

 seashore. Their food consists prin- 



rirmllv of fnno-i nml flip tpiuW Limax flavus, a slug, or snail without an 



U y n S 1 external shell. (Binney.) 



shoots of plants. Instances have 



been known of their committing cannibalism, especially when very 



hungry and when several specimens are together. The native species 



51 



