BULIMUS. 149 



globular, tips dilated ; lower tentacles nearly smooth, with tine 

 and indistinct black specks ; foot very slightly fringed, angulated 

 in front, broader in the middle, and narrowing towards the tail, 

 which is somewhat slender; lingual ribbon with 120 rows of 

 55 teeth = 6600. 



Shell shaped like that of the last species, but smaller and shorter 

 in proportion, semitransparent, rather thin, glossy, varying in 

 colour from pale to dark brown, with fine irregular strife, as 

 well as with fainter intermediate ones, in the line of growth ; 

 periphery rounded ; whorls 6|-, convex ; spire tapering, apex 

 obtuse ; suture moderately deep ; mouth forming three-fourths 

 of an oval ; outer lip white, not very thick, considerably re- 

 flected ; 7nnbilicus narrow and not deep. 



Inhabits many parts of Great Britain, in woods, on 

 the trunks of trees, in hedgerows among moss, as 

 well as on rocks and among heaps of stones. The 

 shell of this species bears a strong resemblance to 

 that of B, montanus, but besides being very much 

 smaller, it differs from it in the following respects : 

 the surface is more glossy, and (owing to the absence 

 of spiral striae) not shagreened, the whorls are more 

 convex and fewer in number, the suture is rather 

 deeper, the inside of the mouth white, and the outer 

 lip is not so thick. 



It frequents moist and shady spots, and is inactive 

 and irritable. 



A curious provision has been devised by Nature 

 for the protection of this harmless little creature. Its 

 shell, especially when immature, is coated with mud, 

 which causes the animal when reposing, as it often 

 does upon the trunk of the beech or other trees, so 

 closely to resemble a small knot or excrescence of the 

 bark that it is almost secure from detection by its 

 enemies. The coating of mud is made to adhere to 



