28 RAMBLES IN SEARCH OF SHELLS. 



Under stones, about rockwork in gardens, and in 

 moist situations generally, may be found the little 

 Helix pulchella (PI. I., fig. 4), a solid but trans- 

 parent and glossy shell of a light grey or white colour. 

 Amongst the localities on record for this widely dis- 

 tributed species are gardens at Chelsea, Hammer- 

 smith, Blackheath, and Eltham. This and the four 

 last named, from their small size, require to be more 

 carefully looked for than the brighter coloured and 

 more obtrusive banded snails. 



The genus Helix comprises all the true snails, 

 which have shells more or less globular, and usually 

 a semilunar mouth. They also have the teeth 

 notched or serrated. In the closely allied genus 

 Zonites the animals have the same glassy-looking 

 shells as in Vitrina, and, being of much the same 

 habits, have similarly hooked teeth. They frequent 

 dark, damp spots, generally under stones, old bricks, 

 and logs of wood partly buried, as well as amongst 

 dead leaves and moss. Zonites cellarius (PL II., 

 fig. 1) is found in cellars, drains, and sculleries, and 

 under tiles or loose bricks about houses. The shell 

 is thin and brittle, but very glossy and semitrans- 

 parent, and of a yellowish or brownish horn colour. 



