342 Rev. Mr. Lowe's Descriptifm of the 



about three-fifths of it; the neck and tail then extending each about one- 

 fifth beyond it. 



' When in motion, it crawls with great activity. Contrary to any other 

 of its tribe that I am acquainted with, if disturbed or irritated it only crawls 

 the faster ; and if at rest and contracted, it directly puts itself in motion 

 I on being touched or disturbed. 



Itisfoundimder stones in moist, shady, or grassy situations in the Island 

 of Madeira. It is- tolerably plentiful in all the wooded ravines of the 

 interior. I have never met with it below the height of 2000 feet; 

 and the highest point where I have noticed dead shells was at the height 

 of about 4,500 feet on the ascent of Pico Ruivo. In rainy weather it is 

 occasionally found crawling actively about on plants ; and I once found 

 it completely retracted within its shell and attached to a leaf of the 

 Clethra arborea. I observed it also in Porto Santo, in May, 1828, but 

 very small and rarely alive. 



From certain observations in February last, I was led to suspect this 

 animal to be carnivorous. Having shut up together several large and 

 small specimens in a box with damp moss, leaves of succulent plants 

 fSedum, not an acrid sort) and Fungi (TremellaJ, I was surprised at 

 finding in the morning nothing left of the smaller ones but the shells, com- 

 pletely cleaned out. I then put two larger ones, of nearly equal size, 

 together into a box. The next day, one was dead, and had the appear- 

 ance of having been gnawed in certain parts. The same evening, I 

 found the living one (which was quite fresh and lively) actually feeding 

 upon the body of the dead one; gnawing at the place where it had, I sus- 

 pect, previously been at work. The skin and integuments of the dead 

 animal > were quite eaten through, and the living one continued a conside- 

 rable time eating and making great progress at the place where it had 

 first began. The next day, more appeared to have been eaten in the 

 night; the survivor in the day time remaining quiet, and concealed in 

 the usual contracted (but perfectly natural) state under the moss, leaves. 

 Fungi, &c. in the box; none of which, I should observe, on this or any 

 other subsequent occasion, feeemed to have been appropriated by the ani- 

 mal to the purposes of food. On the following day, the body of the 

 dead animal was SQ. putrid, that I could scarcely ascertain whether more 

 had been eaten ; and after this I neglected to observe them. 



