VITRINA. 57 



and rotten wood. Its geographical distribution denotes 

 that it is a hardy species. When kept in confinement 

 it has not been noticed to feed upon vegetable matters 

 placed within its reach, and it has been detected in sev- 

 eral instances preying upon dead, and even upon living 

 earth-worms. It is hence inferred, with some probabil- 

 ity, that its habits are carnivorous. Observations upon 

 Vitrina lamarckii tend to confirm this opinion. It is 

 said to deposit its eggs, which are nearly globular, hi the 

 autumn. They are placed under decaying leaves, and 

 stones, and in the soil, in parcels of ten or fifteen, 

 slightly agglutinated together ; they are hatched in from 

 fifteen to twenty days, and acquire their full size and 

 maturity in eight or ten months. The animal is active, 

 moving with rapidity, and particularly vivacious in rainy 

 weather. M. Bouchard-Chantereaux, who observed great 

 numbers of V. pellucida withdrawn into their shells, 

 dying and dead, in the month of January, supposes that 

 their term of life is from one year to fifteen months, and 

 that they die after having completed their deposit of 

 eggs. This, however, is only problematical, as great 

 numbers of other species of Helicidce are cut off by the 

 severe weather of the winter, before they have provided 

 themselves with sufficient shelter. 



[Having had opportunities for a more critical com- 

 parison of the European and American shells, I am in- 

 duced to believe that they are different species. It is 

 true that V. pellucida is known to vary rather widely in 



VOL. II. 8 



