HARD WICKE 'S S CIENCE- G OS SIP. 



205 



A CONCIIOLOGICAL EXCURSION ON THE 

 GLOUCESTERSHIRE HILLS. 



OH ! how it rained on the 31CI of October, 1879 ! 

 A steady determined downpour all day long. 

 Still, as I looked out of the window and saw the 

 drops chasing each other down the panes — the 



for the slugs and snails will all be out and thoroughly 

 enjoying themselves." The morning came ; the rain had 

 ceased, and a thick mist enveloped everything. This, 

 however, was all in our favour, and so we — my wife 

 and self — set off, well provided with boxes, bags, and 

 bottles, and full of hope that some conchological prize 

 would fall to our lot before the day was out. Having 

 left the city of Gloucester about four or five miles be- 



^^.■^ 



Fig. 117. — Helix arh::siorinn. 



Fig. iiS. — Helix neiiwralis. 



Fig. iig. — Helix Caniiana. 



Figs. 120, 121. — Helix pO)nalia. 



\ri-z. — Helix viri'ata. 



Fig. 123. — Helix ericeionun. 



.Fig. 124. — Helix rufescens. 



gutters in the street turned into miniature mountain- 

 torrents, and the passers-by hurrying on under 

 umbrellas which illustrated the dripping well at 

 Knaresborough, only with a better assortment of 

 drips, I thought to myself, " Wei], the old proverb is 

 right which says ' 'Tis an ill wind that blows nobody 

 any good,' and if it will only cease raining before to- 

 morrow it will be all the better for our excursion ; 



Fig. i^s.— Helix rotundata. 



hind us, and turning into a beech wood which clothes 

 the sides of one of the spurs of the Cotswold range, 

 we commenced our researches amongst the fallen 

 leaves. Here we found several beautiful specimens 

 of the common Helix ucmoi-alis, of a bright crimson 

 or almost scarlet colour (especially near the aper- 

 ture) which showed out in marked contrast the dark 

 brown medial band or bands in each whorl. Here 



