8: Proceedings. 
age *, by Mr. W. J. Lewis Abbott, F.G.S., at the Hastings 
kitchen-midden, and by myself at Dover ft. 
It is curious that of so common a snail only two specimens 
have been secured from the Horseshoe deposit, and those only 
in the upper part of the section, one at 9 in. and one at 103 
from the surface. This is the variety that used to be imported 
to America in barrelst; it formed the staple of the glass- 
blowers’ feast in Newcastle §, and has been much praised as a 
remedy for consumption. It is fed on by thrushes and black- 
birds, which break the shell in halves on a stone, and also by 
field-voles and mice, which, it is said, gnaw a hole in the side of 
the shell to extract the animal. The mucus of H. aspersa and 
H. pomatia make one of the strongest cements known. 
For some reason it occurs in almost incredible numbers near 
the sea, for instance at Dover it was the commonest snail last 
year (1898): and in July 1898, at St. Enodock near Padstow, 
Cornwall, the churchyard wall was packed with thousands of 
the dark variety. 
It will be noticed that Helicella cantiana occurs but sparingly 
and within the upper two feet of the Horseshoe deposit. 
It is supposed that the Kent snail is a post-Roman importa- 
tion into England, but Sir Joseph Prestwich in his paper on 
the Rubble-drift records it for Baggy Point, North Devon 
(which is a Pleistocene deposit), on the authority of Dr. Gwyn 
Jeffreys. As no specimens are now forthcoming this record is 
rejected, and it shows how careful observers should be to pro- 
duce their specimens, “ which are chiels that canna’ ding.” It 
seems almost incredible that Dr. Gwyn Jeffreys should have 
made a mistake in so well-marked a snail. — 
Helicella cantiana, Mont., is exceedingly common along the 
North Downs. Mr. Lionel Adams says that it is only found 
near paths, and in this he is very likely right, but he says that 
he has never known birds eat it. That statement I cannot 
* Kennard, Proceedings of Malacological Society, vol. ii. p. 106. 
+ Bullen, Proc. Malae. Soe. vol. iii. pt. 3, p. 104. 
¢ Kew: op. cit. p. 203. 
§ Eng. Encyel. ix. p. 69. 
