364 Shell Life 



shelter, but on dewy evenings and after rain it roams 

 freely over the adjacent hedges. It is the snail 

 whose shelly fragments chiefly surround the thrush's 

 sacrificial stone. It has long been a serious .question 

 among conchologists whether this and the form 

 known as K. hortensis are distinct or one, and there 

 are earnest and convinced advocates of each view. 

 We agree with the " lumpers " that the possession of 

 a pale lip and column can scarcely be held a 

 sufficient reason for the separation of two forms that 

 agree so closely in almost every point— especially 

 when they are admittedly the most variable among 

 our land shells in respect of colour and banding. 

 However, for convenience we here treat them 

 separately. 



The White-lipped Snail {H. hortensis) agrees with 

 the foregoing, except that it is usually somewhat 

 smaller, with the mouth, rib, and central column pale 

 coloured. It is found in similar situations to the 

 dark-lipped form, but not often with it ; and it is 

 less widely distributed, though equally plentiful 

 where it occurs. 



The Common Garden Snail {H. aspersa) is far too 

 common to please any gardener. Full-grown indi- 

 viduals measure nearly H inches across the five- 

 whorled shell. The epidermis has a little gloss, but 

 this soon passes, and as a rule its appearance is dull 

 and shabby. The ground colour is normally a 

 brownish yellow, over which run five very dark 

 brown bands, but these are always much broken and 

 the yellow appears across them in zigzag streaks. 

 The spire is not much raised, and the tip of it is 

 broad. The lip is white, thickened, and reflected. 



