37 



December ifk, 1878. 



ColoiLjl Cox, ia addressing tlis moatiu.q', said — I wish, to point 

 out the two o'j;!^s of a lung-broathing snail, tho Bulinius hoe- 

 mastoma. You will see they are quito as largo as those of a 

 sparrow ; tho shell is hard and calcareous. Tha animal only 

 lays one oocasioually. On lookiu.j into Knight's Pouny Ency- 

 clopedia I find the following remarks, which I have extracted, 

 believing that you will feel as mu'jJi interested as I have been. 

 ' ' The reproduction of this specios is by nieaus of eggs, Avhich 

 are white, and have a firm shell like those of birds. Some of 

 these eggs are of considerable size. Three eggs were laid by 

 one of these species — Bulimus o\-alis (a specimen of which is on 

 the table) from Rio, in a hot house in tho garden of the Eoj-al 

 Horticultural Society at Chiswick. It was brought over in 

 October, 1828, by Mr. "William il'CuUock, then gardener to the 

 Eight Hon. Kobert Gordon, and presented by him to the Society. 

 At first it appeared rather sickly, but after it had been kept in 

 the hot house for some time it recovered and began to move 

 about. Mr. Booth, who was ©n the spot, says it cannot now bo 

 correctly ascertained when it produced its first egg, but it was 

 very shortly after its arrival, I should think about the begin- 

 ning of November. This egg was sent, bj' the desire of Mr. 

 Sabino, to the Geological ISociety. About the same time in the 

 year 1829, it produced a second egg, and three weeks after a 

 thii'd. The latter was unfortunately broken bj- the animal itself, 

 but the former are still in preservation. It fed iipou lettuces and 

 the under leaves of cabbages; the former seemed to be its 

 favourite food. Sometunes it would devoiu* two large lettuces 

 and then remain for days afterwards 'without touching food or 

 removing from its place, except when cold water was sprinkled 

 upon it. During the daj' it was usually in a dormant state in 

 the shade, but towards evening, when the house was moist and 

 warm, it would spread itself out and move from one part to an- 

 other. It seemed to like moi.sture, and I have no doubt that it 

 might have been preserved for years, if it had not been acci- 

 dentalh' killed. On Saturdaj' last it was at the end of the house 

 whore the tire comes in, and ventured too far upon the hot bricks 

 after they had been watei'od. In the morning it was found fixed 

 to them and quite dead." — " Geological Journal," vol. v., p. 102. 

 I have placed before you several varieties of this verj^ interesting 

 group of land shells. Thus, the Buliinus hoema.stoma is a 

 Lu'ge shell, but the ovalis and especially the zebra is very fine. 

 On examining the second and broken egg the young bullen is 

 clearly seen inside clearly formed and ready to be hatched. 

 These shells have been kept in tho con -•ervatories of the Queen's 

 House, Barbadoes, for years, and their eggs have been collected. 



