HELIX. 109 



GENUS IV.—HE'LIX, LINNE. 



Body somewhat elongated, capable of being contained within 

 the shell ; mantle thick, not reflected ; tentacles 4, cylindrical, 

 bulbs more or less tumid ; foot usually broad ; jaw arched and 

 ribbed, edge teeth of Ungual ribbon serrated. 



Shell conical, more or less globose ; spire in most cases pro- 

 duced ; mouth more or less circular or oval ; outer lip usually 

 thick, with an internal rib, and reflected, sometimes thin, occa- 

 sionally provided with teeth or tubercles ; umbilicus more or 

 less distinct, occasionally wanting. 



The food of the Helices, or true snails, chiefly con- 

 sists of vegetable matter, but some species are car- 

 nivorous as well as herbivorous. Their habits, as 

 well as the nature of the localities they frequent, vary 

 considerably ; most species delight in moist and 

 shady places, but some brave the scorching rays of 

 the summer sun, and others the cold of elevated 

 situations. Except in wet and cloudy weather they 

 usually lie concealed during the daytime among moss 

 and dead leaves, at the roots of plants, or under 

 stones ; in the evening they sally forth in quest of 

 food, and soon after sunrise retire again to their 

 hiding places. Those species which do not require a 

 place of shelter during the heat of the day close the 

 aperture of their shell with a thin epiphragm, and 

 suspend themselves by means of their slimy secretion 

 to the stalks of grass or other plants. On the ap- 

 proach of winter most of them retire from active life, 

 either burying themselves in the ground or retreating 

 to some other hiding place, where, after closing the 

 aperture of their shell with a much thicker epiphragm 



* A coil. 



