I08 THE DISPERSAL OF SHELLS. 



greater part of which hatched out, so that " a little 

 colony of vigorous young snails " was established. 

 According to a statement in the American Naturalist, 

 in 1880, another individual has been known to live 

 " without food " for thirteen months ; but two, enclosed 

 in a wooden box by Mr. Gude in August, 1891, were 

 both dead when examined after about thirteen and a 

 half months.^ 



Helix PISANA. — A snail of this species, collected by 

 Mr. O. V. Aplin about the middle of August, 1 881, and 

 overlooked, was found to be alive on i8th June, 1882. 

 On being placed in a jar of water — the epiphragm 

 having been previously broken away — it crawled out in 

 less than an hour and a quarter, and was apparently 

 none the worse for its ten months' sleep.' 



Helix fraseri. — Some examples of this snail — 

 which does not form an epiphragm — brought to Sydney 

 by a collector from the Richmond River, New South 

 Wales, in April, 1890, were kept by Mr. Musson, wrapped 

 in paper, in an open cigar-box on a shelf, for about ten 

 months, and on examination at the end of this period 

 were found to be alive. 



Helix veatchil — A specimen of H. veatchii, from 

 Cerros Island, is said to have " lived without food from 

 1859, the year when it was collected, to March, 1865, a 

 period of six years." ^ 



"■ J. Ward. "Nature," xx. (1879), 363; Lockwood, " Am. Nat," 

 xiv. (1880), p. 214, as quoted in the '• Zoological Record," xviii. 

 (1S81), Moll., p. 16. 



- O. V. Aplin, " Midland Naturalist,'' v. (1882), p. 210. 



■^ R. E. C. Stearns, "Am. Nat.," xi. (1877), 100, and "' Proc. 



