LAND SHELLS : THEIR TENACITY OF LIFE. lOI 



chance gave his son, a child about ten years old, some 

 of these snail shells to play with. The boy put them 

 into a flower-pot, which he filled with water, and next 

 day into a basin. Having occasion to use this, Mr. 

 Simon observed that the animals had come out of their 

 shells. He examined the child, who assured him that 

 they were the same he had given him, and said he had 

 also a few more, which he brought. Mr. Simon put one 

 of these into water, and in an hour and a half observed 

 that it had put out its horns and body, which it moved 

 but slowly probably from weakness. Major Vallancey 

 and Dr. Span were afterwards present and saw one of 

 the snails crawl cut, the others being dead, most pro- 

 bably from their having remained some days in the 

 water. Dr. Quin and Dr. Rutty also examined the 

 living snail several different times, and were greatly 

 pleased to see him come out of his solitary habitation 

 after so many years' confinement. Dr. Macbride, and a 

 party of gentlemen at his house, were also witnesses of 

 this surprising phenomenon A few weeks after- 

 wards the shell was sent to Sir John Pringle, who 

 showed it at a meeting of the Royal Society ; but some of 

 the members imagining that Mr. Simon must have been 

 imposed upon by his son having substituted fresh shells 

 for those that had been given to him, the boy was re- 

 examined by Dr. Macbride on the subject, who declared 

 that he could find no reason to believe that the child 

 either did or could impose upon his father. Mr. Simon's 

 living in the heart of the city rendered it almost impos- 

 sible for the boy (if he had been so disposed) to collect 



