bigeuow] SNAILS FOR XATCRE-STCDY 199 



pupils whose ideas of animals are based on vertebrates and arthro- 

 pods (crayfish, spiders insects, centipedes), which are the most com- 

 mon forms seen in our schoolrooms. For these reasons I want to 

 urge that the edible snail should become better known to teachers 

 and used as a means of introducing our pupils to its American cousin s 

 and more distant relatives in the snail group. These snails are now 

 regularly imported from France and Germany where they are common 

 pests in gardens, and may be found in the provision markets of our 

 large cities during the cooler months, from about October 15 to 

 April 1 . They are brought from Furopein the dormant or winter condi- 

 tion, the aperture of the shell being sealed by the temporary plate 

 (epiphragm) of calcified mucus. In this condition they may be 

 packed, shipped and stored for months in dry sawdust or "excelsior." 

 The snails may be purchased in autumn amd the stock kept in some 

 cool and dry place until they are wanted for class study, perhaps in 

 late spring. When active snails are needed it is only necessary to 

 put them in a warm, wet place on grassy sod, moss, sand or sawdust; 

 and under the influence of the moisture the epiphragm soon softens 

 and the head and foot emerge from the shell. The emergence may 

 be hastened by first removing the epiphragm with the point of a knife 

 before placing the animals on a wet surface. Dipping for only a 

 moment into lukewarm water will also hasten emergence from the 

 winter quarters. 



I have written above " cool and dry." In the warm schoolroom 

 some of the sealed snails will die and dry out if kept all winter, but 

 they may be left on the tables for several weeks without any atten- 

 tion and when wanted in active condition treated as described above. 

 Could a more convenient animal be wanted? 



The active snails may be kept so for months in a simple vivarium 

 which consists of a shallow box or bucket covered with coarse wire- 

 netting and having the bottom covered with grassy sod or coarse sand 

 or gravel. I prefer the gravel because it may be washed in running 

 water occasionally, which is desirable in case the vivarium is kept in 

 the schoolroom. 



The snails will eat lettuce, cabbage, celery, parsley and other green 

 vegetables. They seem to prefer the food given them first when they 

 emerge from winter quarters. The most convenient way to handle 

 the living snail in the class-room is to allow it to crawl on a plate of 

 glass to which the foot soon firmly adheres, making it possible to hold 

 the glass in any position. All external parts and movements are then 



