l86 THE DISPERSAL OF SHELLS. 



Redcar sandhills in 18S2, only a single half-grown 

 specimen of the former could be found in 1884-5.^ 



With land-shells much more seems to have been 

 done. The Roman or edible snail {Helix poniatia) has 

 often been experimented upon. It is even said by some 

 to have been originally introduced into this country 

 from the continent, but this is a point to be considered 

 in the next chapter. Specimens from Stonesfield, 

 Oxfordshire, were introduced many years ago into the 

 Botanic Gardens at Oxford, where, it was stated in 

 1883, a large colony " is now thriving." - Many years 

 ago also a few specimens are said to have been turned 

 out by Mr. Bean in Forge Valley, Scarborough, and 

 individuals, as reported in 1868, were subsequently 

 found there from time to time ; Mr. Ashford mentions 

 having seen a full-grown living shell, taken in the locality 

 in April, 1868, " doubtless a descendant of the originally 

 transferred stock."' Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell records 

 the liberation of four specimens near Chislehurst, two 

 of which were seen again after nearly two years."* Mr. 

 Thompson, in 1841, stated that the creature had " of 

 late years been introduced from England to different 

 localities in Ireland, as Dalkey Island, off the Dublin 

 coast, Youghal, etc. ;'^ in the autumn of 1834 a few had 

 been turned out by him^, together with Cyclostonia elegans, 

 on the chalk near Belfast, but they did not increase, and 



' B. Hudson, "Jouin. of Conch.," v. (1886), p. 48. 



" S. S. Pearce, " Zoologist," (3), vii. (1883), p. 365. 



^ C. Ashford, " Science Gossip," 1868, p. 160. 



^ T. D. A. Cockerell, " Journ. of Conch.," iv. (1884), p. 238. 



