42 DEPOSITION OF EGGS chap. 



Mr. Layard promptly had a trench sunk across what was said to 

 be the old course, and the discovery of numerous living Ampul- 

 lar ia^ buried in the mud, confirmed the story of one of the 

 litigants and confounded the other.^ 



Depositing and Hatching of Eggs: Self -fertilisation. — 

 There appears to be no doubt that Helices, when once impreg- 

 nated, can lay successive batches of eggs, and possibly can con- 

 tinue laying for several years, without a further act of union. 

 A specimen of Helix aspersa was noticed in company with 

 another on 5th August ; on 9th August it laid eggs in the soil, 

 and early in the following summer it laid a second batch of eggs, 

 although its companion had been removed directly after its first 

 introduction. An Avion received from a distance laid 30 eggs 

 on 5th September, and 70 more on the 23rd of the same month, 

 although quite isolated during the whole time.^ By far the 

 most remarkable case of the kind is related by Gaskoin.^ A 

 specimen of Helix lactea was kept in a drawer for about two 

 years, and then in another drawer for about two years more. 

 It was then taken out, and placed in water, when it revived, 

 and was placed alone under a bell jar with earth and food. 

 Six months after, about 30 young H. lactea were found 

 crawling on the glass, the act of oviposition not having been 

 observed. 



The observations of Mr. F. W. Wotton,^ with regard to the 

 fertilisation and egg-laying of Avion atev, are of extreme inter- 

 est and value. A pair of this species, kept in captivity, united 

 on 10th September 1889, the act lasting about 25 minutes. 

 From that date until the eggs were laid, the animals looked 

 sickly, dull of colour, with a somewhat dry skin. Eggs were 

 deposited in batches, one, which we will call A^ beginning three 

 days before B. On 10th October A laid 80 eggs ; on the 16th, 

 110 ; on the 25th, 77 ; on 8th November, 82 ; and on 17th 

 November, 47 ; making a total of 396. Specimen B, which 

 began on 13th October, three days after A, made up for the 

 delay by laying 246 eggs in 40 hours ; on 26th October it laid 9, 

 on 10th November, 121 ; and on 30th November, 101 ; a total of 



1 See Temient's Ceylon, i. p. 221, ed. 5. 



2 W. A. Gain, Xaturalist, 1889, p. 55 ; Brockmeier, Nachr. Deutsch. MalaJc. 

 Gesell. XX. p. 113. 



3 Ann. Mag. Xat. Hist. (2) ix. p. 498. ^ Joiirn. Conch, vii. 1893, p. 158 f. 



