Involute.] 



MOLLUSCA. 



43 



Genus 53. — Helix Linnaeus. 



Shell orbicular, or subglobose, thin ; body very large ; spire 

 short, and small in proportion to the body; aperture oblique; 

 outer lip reflected, and interrupted by the bulging of the body; 

 columella confluent with the outer lip, and situate on the lower 

 portion of the axis. Some species umbilicated, and others not 

 so ; destitute of an operculum. 



Some species, however, have the power of forming a calca- 

 reous lid, fitting the aperture, to the external edges of which, 

 the animal firmly cements it after retiring to its hybernaculum 

 in winter. This lid has been termed by some authors an 

 epiphragm. 



This genus has been divided into several sub-genera. 



Sub-Genus 1 . — Hblicogbna. — Fevussac. 



Body volution large ; axis solid ; destitute of an umbilicus ; 

 aperture large. 



1. Helix Pomatia, pi. XVI, f. 12 and 14— First Ed., pi. 

 39, f. 12 and 14. 



Helix Pomatia, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., p. 1244; Gmelin, Linn. 

 Syst, p. 3627 ; Lister, Conch., pi. 48, f. 46 ; Pennant, Brit. 

 Zool., IV, p. 134, pi. 84, f. 128; Cochlea Pomatia, Da Costa, 

 Brit. Sh., p. 67, pi. 4, f. 14; Donovan, Brit. Sh, III, pi. 84; 

 Miiller, Verm., II, p. 43, No. 243; Turton's Linne, IV, p. 513; 

 lb., Man., p. 44, pi. 4, f. 34 ; lb., Brit. Fau., p. 190; Montagu, 

 Test. Brit., p. 408; Brard, p. 19, pi. 1, f. 5; Drapemaud, Hist, 

 des Moll., p. 87, pi. 5, f. 20, 21 , 22 ; Pfeiffer, I, p. 25, pi. 2, f. 9 ; 

 Brown, Ency. Brit., 6th Ed., VI, p. 458 ; lb., Ency. Edinensis, 

 II, p. 554, pi. 55, f. 5; Alder, Mag. Zool. and Bot., II, p. 106; 

 Pomatia antiquorum, Leach, Moll., p. 89. 



Shell subglobose, rather strong; body very large, ventricose; 

 spire small, consisting-of four somewhat inflated, well divided 

 volutions, terminating in an obtuse apex; whole shell with 

 rather strong, longitudinal stria?, and crossed by very minute, 

 spiral striae, but not so strong as to produce a reticulated 

 appearance; aperture nearly sublunate; pillar lip white, or very 

 pale rose-colour, considerably spread over the columella; outer 

 lip slightly reflected, and somewhat thickened on the margin ; 

 whole shell covered with a thin yellowish-brown epidermis, with 

 three or four broad, transversely spiral, reddish-brown bands 

 beneath it on the body volution, and generally one narrow band 

 on the superior volutions ; inside of aperture pale brownish- 

 purple. Length generally about two inches; diameter not 

 quite so much. 



The favourite habitats of this species are hedges, woods, and 

 chalky soil. It does not extend further north in England than 

 the midland counties. 



Fig. 6 represents the young shell. 



The H. Pomatia is the largest of the British land shells, and 

 is subject to some variety, both as regards colour and size, and 

 relative proportion of the spire to the body. Reversed speci- 

 mens have been met with, and others with the convolutions 

 disunited and scalariform. 



This shell has, by some authors, been supposed not an abo- 

 riginal species, but to have been introduced from Italy about 

 the middle of the sixteenth century by a Mr. Howard, and first 

 turned out at Albury, in Surrey. They seem to have increased 



much, and spread themselves over most of the southern coun- 

 ties. We are, however, of opinion that it is a native of 

 England. 



This species was a favourite food with the ancient Romans, 

 and is eaten in many parts of Europe at the present time. 



2. Helix aspersa, pi. XVI, f. 5, 13, and 17— First Ed., 

 pi. 39, f. 5, 13, and 17- 



Helix aspersa, Miiller, Verm., II, p. 59, No. 253 ; Gmelin, 

 Linn. Syst., p. 3631, No. 58; Lister, Conch., pi. 49, f. 47; 

 Turton's Linne, IV, p. 515 ; Montagu, Test. Brit., p. 409 ; 

 Drapemaud, p. 89, pi. 5, f. 23; Brard, p. 7, pi. 1, f. 1 ; Brown, 

 Ency. Brit., 6th Ed., VI, p. 460 ; Fleming, Edin. Ency., VII, 

 p. 81 ; lb., Brit. An., p. 263; Turton, Man., p. 52, f. 35; 

 Leach, Moll., p. 82 ; Rossmassler, pt. 5th, p. 5, pi. 22, f. 294, 

 and small var. Mazzublii, p. 5, pi. 22, f. 296 ; Jeffreys, Linn. 

 Tr., XVI, p. 328; Alder, Mag. Zool. and Bot., II, p. 106; 

 Thompson, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., p. 20 ; Forbes, Mai. 

 Mon., p. 7; Helix hortensis } Pennant, Brit. Zool., IV, p. 136, 

 pi. 34, f. 129; Turton, Brit. Fau., p. 191 ; Brown, Wernerian 

 Mem., II, p. 527; Donovan, Brit. Sh., IV, pi. 131 ; Cochlea 

 vulgaris, Da Costa, p. 72, pi. 4, f. 1 . 



Shell subglobose ; body large ; spire small, consisting of four 

 nearly parallel, rather tumid, but narrow volutions, terminating 

 in a somewhat obtuse apex ; aperture semilunar, a little longi- 

 tudinally lengthened ; inner lip white, pretty broadly reflected 

 on the columella ; outer lip blunted on the edge, and consider- 

 ably reflected; whole surface covered with a rather strong, dull, 

 wrinkled epidermis, of a yellowish-brown or olive ; with two or 

 three dark, reddish-brown bands of large, interrupted, irregular 

 blotches on the body volution, and two or three on the volu- 

 tions of the spire ; between these are paler, irregular markings. 

 Diameter about an inch and a half. 



When the epidermis is removed, the surface of the shell 

 is of a pale white, marked with the fasciae, which appear more 

 distinct. 



Fig. 18 represents the young shell. 



This species is subject to considerable variety, both in colour 

 and markings, as well as in the length of its spire. 



Fig. 13 is a small variety, the body of which is invested with 

 irregular, longitudinal clouds and blotches, without fasciae. It 

 has been found with the volutions reversed, and also with the 

 convolutions apart from each other. 



This species is universally diffused over the whole of Great 

 Britain and Ireland, and inhabits woody situations, but is more 

 especially met with in gardens, where it makes considerable 

 havoc among the plants. 



3. Helix nemokalis, pi. XVI, f. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10 



First Ed., pi. 39, f. 1,2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10. 



Helix nemoralis, Miiller, Verm., II, p. 46, No. 246 ; Linne, 

 Syst. Nat., p. 3647 ; Lister, Conch., pi. 57, f. 54 ; Montagu, 

 Test. Brit., p. 411 ; Donovan, Brit. Sh., I, pi. 13; Drapemaud, 

 p. 94, pi. 6, f. 3, 4, 5 ; Brard, p. 12, pi. 1, f. 2 and 4 ; Maton 

 and Rackett, Linn. Tr., VIII, p. 206 ; Lamarck, An. San. Vert., 

 VI, pt. 2nd, p. 81; Fleming, Brit. An., p. 264; lb., Edin. 

 Ency., VII, p. 81 ; Brown, Ency. Brit., 1st Ed., VI, p. 460; 

 lb., Wernerian Mem., II, p. 527; Pfeiffer, I, p. 27, pi. 2, f. 10, 

 11 ; Rossmassler, pi. 298, a, b, var.; lb., VIII, p. 26, pi. 36, f. 

 494; lb., pi. 10, f. 137; Turton, Brit. Fau., p. 191; lb., Man., 



