86 HELICID^. 



ground. They seldom come from their lui-king places 

 while the sun shines, and indeed are never seen rang- 

 ing in the daytime unless the day be damp and dark. 

 -Should they then be surprised by the appearance of the 

 sxm, they immediately take shelter from its rays, under 

 some cover or on the shaded side of the trunks of trees. 



The natural food of the genus is vegetable ; and the 

 formation of the mouth and the organs vrith which it is 

 armed seems to be pecuharly well adapted for cutting 

 fruits and the succulent leaves of plants. The dental 

 edge of the upper jaw, with its minute serratures, being 

 applied against the substance to be eaten, the semilu- 

 nar rough instrument, which Spallanzani calls the tongue, 

 is brought up against it, cuttmg out and carrying 

 into the mouth semicircular portions of nutriment. 

 This operation is carried on with great rapidity, and the 

 substance to be eaten soon disappears. It is certain, 

 however, that they are also fond of animal food, and 

 sometimes prey upon earth-worms, their own eggs, 

 and even upon each other; but the slowness of their 

 motions and their consequent inabiUty to pursue prey 

 forbids the idea of their being dependent on animal food. 

 They, in their turn, become the j^rey of various birds 

 and reptiles ; and it is no uncommon thuig to observe, 

 in the forest, clusters of broken shells lying on logs or 

 stones which have been chosen by birds as convenient 

 places for breaking the shell and extracting the animal. 



The snails of the United States are for the most part 

 solitary in their habits, diifering very much, in this re- 



