460 Handbook of Nature-Study 



The way the snail uses his eyes is comical ; he goes to the edge of a leaf 

 and pokes one eye over to see what the new territory is like ; but if his eye 

 strikes an object, he pulls that one back, and prospects for a time with the 

 other. He can lengthen the eye-stalk amazingly if he has need. How 

 convenient for us if we could thus see around a corner . If a small boy were 

 as well off as a snail, he could see the entire ball game through a knot-hole 

 in the fence. In fact, the more we study the snail, the more we admire, 

 first his powers of ascertaining what there is in the world, and then his 

 power of getting around in the world by climbing recklessly and relent- 

 lessly over obstacles, not caring whether he is right side up on the floor or 

 hanging wrong side up from the ceiling; and, finally, we admire his utter 

 reticence when things do not go to suit him. I think the reason I always 

 call a snail "he" is because he seems such a philosopher a Diogenes in his 

 tub. However, since the snail combines both sexes in one individual the 

 pronoun is surely applicable. 



When observed through a lens, the snail's skin looks like that of the 

 alligator, rough and divided into plates, with a surface like pebbled 

 leather ; and no insect intruder can crawl up his foot and get into the shell 

 "unbeknownst," for the shell is grown fast to the flange, that grows out of 

 the middle of the snail's back. The smoother the surface the snail is 

 crawling upon, the harder to make him let go. The reason for this lies in 

 the mucus, which he secretes as he goes, and which enables him to fasten 

 himself anywhere; he can crawl up walls or beneath any horizontal sur- 

 face, shell downward, and he leaves a shining trail behind him wherever 

 he goes. 



Snail eggs are as large as small peas, almost transparent, covered with 

 very soft shells, and fastened together by mucus. They are laid under 

 stones and decaying leaves. As soon as the baby snail hatches, it has a 

 shell with only one spiral turn in it; as it grows, it adds layer after layer 

 to the shell on the rim about the opening which is called the lip; these 

 layers we can see as ridges on the shell. If we open an empty shell, we 

 can see the progress of growth in the size of the spirals. Snails eat suc- 

 culent leaves and other soft vegetable matter. During the winter, they 

 bury themselves beneath objects or retire into soft humus. In preparing 

 for the winter, the snail makes a door of mucus and lime, or sometimes 

 three doors, one behind another, across the entrance to his shell, leaving a 

 tiny hole to admit the air. There are varieties of snails which are eaten 

 as dainties in Europe, and are grown on snail farms for the markets. The 

 species most commonly used is the same as that which was regarded as a 

 table luxury by the ancient Romans. 



References Wild Life, Ingersoll; The Natural History of Some Com- 

 mon Animals, Latter. 



LESSON CVI 

 THE GARDEN SNAIL 



Leading thought The snail carries his dwelling with him, and retires 

 within it in time of danger. He can climb on any smooth surface. 



Method- The pupils should make a snailery, which may consist of any 

 glass jar, with a little soil and some moss or leaves at the bottom, and a 

 shallow dish of water at one side. The moss and soil should be kept moist. 

 Place the snails in this and give them fresh leaves or pulpy fruit, and they 

 will live comfortably in confinement. A bit of cheese-cloth fastened with 



