368 Shell Life 



heads and the mouths of their shells downwards." 

 Although this statement was quoted by Jeffreys and 

 most subsequent writers, it did not appear to be sub- 

 stantiated by further independent observation, and it 

 always appeared to me to be founded on an error, 

 because the beginning of shell enlargement is a 

 delicate film which has to be hardened by exposure to 

 dry air before the more mineral portions are spread 

 upon it. Such a process seems impossible in the 

 earth. On 9th June 1894, when in company with a 

 party of fellow naturalists on the chalk - hills at 

 Reigate, I felt sure at last that Mr. Lowe's theory 

 was the right one, for I found dozens of H. 2?omatia 

 with their shells partially buried in the chalky soil 1 

 Closer investigation, however, revealed the fact that 

 instead of burying themselves for shell enlargement, 

 the snails were excavating holes in which to deposit 

 eggs. A number of snails were actually removed 

 from above holes which they had roofed in, all but a 

 small central aperture. Several of these chambers 

 were opened, the eggs counted and removed. The 

 internal space w^as equal to the size of the shell, and 

 the contained eggs varied from seventeen to thirty- 

 one ^ in number. Probably it was the excavation of 

 these pits — effected with the foot I imagine — that Mr. 

 Lowe mistook for the beginning of aestivation. 



The eggs of pomatia have a rough-surfaced, dead- 

 white, chalky shell, which may be blown like the egg 

 of a bird, and will permanently retain its irregular 

 roundish form. They hatch in from twenty to forty 

 days, and the snail-chicks on emergence are as large 



^ Miss F. M. Hele tells me that her captive ^w;>w^i« have laid as 

 many as seventy eggs. 



