40 Our British Snails 



it has two centres, Charing and Shoreham with 

 their contiguous- parishes, but there is a great 

 gap between them, and it is absent from places 

 on the same chalk ridge which are identical in 

 soil and vegetation. 



H. {Cryptomphalus) aspersa. — The sub-generic 

 name means that the umbilicus is hidden in 

 adult shells by a fold of the pillar lip ; the specific 

 name means sprinkled (with brow^n blotches) ; 

 but it ma}^ be a slip of the pen, for aspcra, or 

 rough, from the rough shagreening of its surface. 

 Five banded, like so many of the Helicidse, but 

 usually the second and third band unite. No 

 umbilicus. The variety exalbida (chiefly found 

 in Kent and the West) is straw colour and some- 

 what transparent. Commonly sold for food 

 on the Continent as well as pomatia, which is 

 cultivated in " snail-farms," but not native in 

 German}^ or Switzerland, and in France chiefly 

 found in the coast departments. Insipid ; but 

 as nourishing as calf's-foot jelly. Fond of gardens 

 (whence its common name), but not of gardeners. 

 As most animals are marvellously gifted with a 

 knowledge of what food to eat and what to avoid, 

 it is curious that aspersa will eat voraciously the 

 leaves of the spindle-tree, though this soon poisons 

 them. It is said also that they share with cows 

 and horses the ignorance that the leaves of the 

 yew should be avoided on pain of sickness or 

 even of death. 



