94 CYPR^A, 



and elaborating a new one more suited to his ne- 

 cessities. It is supposed that, during the operation 

 of perfecting his first receptacle, he himself in- 

 creases in dimensions, till it be with difficulty that 

 he is contained within it : when this is the case, he 

 squeezes himself through the narrow aperture, per- 

 haps with considerable pain, as the whole cavity of 

 the shell was insufficient for his ease; and commit- 

 ting his unprotected body to the briny element, is, 

 doubtless, agreeably irritated, till his secreting 

 powers are enough awakened to lay the foundation 

 of a new testaceous covering. These circumstances 

 are rendered still more extraordinary, by observa- 

 tions which maybe made upon the genus, very much 

 at variance with them. Had they not, indeed, 

 been announcedas from ocular demonstration, they 

 might be suspected of having originated in some 

 accidental occurrence, or imaginary habit. 



In the first place, analogy concludes against 

 any such wandering propensity ; for it is not even 

 surmised that the congeners of the animal possess 

 it; and it is difficult to conceive why this Limax 

 alone should grow disproportionably, after the 



