Land and Freshwater Shells. 1 77 



animal has been dissected and accurately displayed, specific 

 distinction can hardly be determinately fixed." Although 

 these opinions are not ours, yet they are not unwholesome 

 ones ; but, unfortunately for Dr. Turton, they are opinions 

 merely, for he has taken no steps to loosen Conchology from 

 her leading-strings ; he has made no dissections of species, 

 and vastly few observations even on their outward form. We 

 are told that some families have four, and some two, tenta- 

 cula ; and that these organs vary in shape, and have eyes on 

 their tips or at their bases ; but beyond these novelties this 

 deponent sayeth not. This deficiency, we repeat, is to be 

 regretted ; for, had he entered even on some economical details, 

 he would have added very much to the interest as well as use- 

 fulness of his volume : and, as a proof of our assertion, we 

 will refer to his own article on Helix pomatia, which, we feel 

 certain, his readers will regard as the best and most entertain- 

 ing in the book. Even on that article, Dr. Turton will excuse 

 us for making two remarks. " The calcareous epiphragm, 

 with which the animal closes the shell during winter, is dis- 

 solved upon the approach of summer," says our author ; *' not 

 by the increased heat of the atmosphere, but by a phosphorous 

 acid which at that season it abundantly secretes." The evi- 

 dence on which the acid is pronounced to be phosphorous 

 ought, we think, to be stated ; for it is very singular to find 

 an animal, that exudes its calcareous matter in combination 

 with carbonic acid, secreting a very different acid for its so-' 

 lution : and, were it proved that the acid was phosphorous,' 

 some light would be thrown on certain points in the general' 

 doctrine of the formation of shell which are still very doubtful." 

 Our second remark is of a matter much less important. " At- 

 one period," says Dr. Turton, " it seems that they (Helix 

 pomatia) were admitted at our own tables; as Lister, in his' 

 Hist. Anim. Angl., p. 111., tells us the manner in which they 

 were cooked in his time : — * They are boiled in spring water, 

 and, when seasoned with oil, salt, and pepper, make a dainty 

 dish.' " The quotation, it is obvious, has neither meaning nor 

 point, unless Dr. Turton means that we shall infer from it 

 that, according to Lister, snails were thus dressed in this 

 country ; but, if we turn to Lister, we shall find he says no 

 such thing. Lister's assertion is, that they are very commonly 

 eaten " in Gallia Narbonensi " (that, surely, is not Britain) ; 

 and are also sold in great quantities in Paris during the sea- 

 son of Lent ; and, after giving us this information, he adds the 

 cookery receipt translated by Dr. Turton, leaving us to infer, 

 as a matter of course, that they were so cooked in Paris. Dr. 

 Lister, in fact, says not a word of their being eaten in Bri- 

 VoL.V.~No. 24. N 



