Tio HELICID^. 



than that which serves to protect them from the heat 

 in summer, they remain in a dormant state until 

 the return of spring. 



Many, if not all of the Helices are provided in the 

 pairing season with sharp, crystalline, spear-head- 

 shaped weapons, which are contained in a sac or 

 pouch and vary in number as well as in form in the 

 several species. During the period of courtship these 

 "love darts" are plunged by the animals into each 

 other's bodies for the purpose of creating mutual 

 excitement. 



The eggs of these molluscs are joined together in 

 a cluster and buried in the earth in small trenches 

 which the animal excavates with its foot. 



I. Helix lamella'ta,* Jeffreys. Pl. VII. 



Body yellowish-white, back slaty-grey with a yellowish- 

 white line running down the middle ; tentacles, upper pair 

 clavate, rather long, of a dark bluish colour, bulbs inky-black, 

 globular ; lozuer tentacles much lighter in colour than the upper 

 pair, tips whitish ; foot whitish, rather narrow, tapering to a fine 

 but slightly obtuse point behind. 



Shell globosely conic, thin, semitransparent, in some lights 

 having the appearance of satin, yellowish horn-colour ; epiderinis 

 thickish, raised in the line of growth into numerous thin, close- 

 set, regular, and slightly oblique laminae or plaits, the inter- 

 vening furrows being finely and microscopically striate in the 

 same direction ; whorls 6, rounded, very gradually increasing ; 

 spire somewhat depressed, apex obtuse ; suture deep ; month 

 semilunar ; outer lip thin, slightly reflected on the pillar ; um- 

 bilicus small, very deep. 



Inhabits woods in some of the northern counties of 

 England, as well as in North Wales, the northern and 



Having plaits. 



