306 CYCLOSTOMATID^. 



tongue is the same as that of other phytophagous Mol- 

 lusca. The bulbs or points of the tentacles are sup- 

 posed to be olfactory organs. This species does not 

 make its appearance until the first warm days of spring ; 

 and in dry weather it buries itself in the earth. It is an 

 exceedingly timid animal. Montagu says that its strong 

 and muscular proboscis is of considerable service in 

 removing obstacles, and especially the earth when the 

 animal retires to its hibernaculum ; and he adds that it 

 is also used in crawling, to hold by, in order to bring 

 forward the body. Dr. Gray has described a remarkable 

 peculiarity in its mode of walking, as follows : — " The 

 foot is formed of two longitudinal portions : as the 

 animal walks, the portion on one side is first advanced, 

 while the animal holds on by the other ; and then holds 

 on with the advanced portion as the other side is gradu- 

 ally advanced before it.'^ This alternate action of the 

 two sides of the foot is nearly similar to that which 

 was observed by Adanson as to his genus Pedipes, of 

 which we have a representative in Melampus ; but in 

 that case the foot is divided into two transverse instead 

 of longitudinal sections, and the action is more like that 

 of a caterpillar, or what is called " looping.^^ Villa has 

 noticed that great numbers of C. elegans are devoured 

 by predaceous beetles, especially by those belonging to 

 species of Cychrus, which contrive to get into the shell 

 in spite of the solid and close-fitting operculum. This 

 curious lid or mouth-piece is as hard as a stone, and 

 covered on both sides with a thick and tenacious epi- 

 dermis, a double fringe of which completely encircles it 

 and causes the operculum to appear laminated. This is 

 one of our handsomest land-shells, and, if it were rare, 

 would be highly prized — like many other too familiar 

 objects of equal beauty. 



