10 EDIBLE BRITISH MOLLUSKS. 



the partiality of thrushes for Helix nemoralis ; and owing 

 to the scarcity of this species in South Derbyshire, I have 

 twice brought a large basketful of live specimens from 

 Staffordshire, and turned them out, hoping they would 

 thrive and increase; but I have not only found the dead 

 and broken shells, but constantly disturbed the feathered 

 depredators themselves at their repast. Helix arbus- 

 torum I have also tried, but with the same success ; they 

 fared no better than the other kind. 



There is a true saying " that there is nothing on earth 

 so small that it may not produce great things."* Thus, 

 the sacred geese at Rome by their cackling awoke 

 Marcus Manlius, and thereby saved the Capitol from 

 the Gauls, who were attempting by night to surprise the 

 garrison ; and even such insignificant creatures as snails 

 were the cause of the following disaster to a Numidian 

 king : — A castle on a lofty and steep rock, into which 

 Jugurtha had carried all his treasures, had long been 

 besieged in vain by Marius, when a Ligurian in the 

 Roman army, climbing up the rocks in quest of snails, 

 was led to continue his search for them, till he had nearly 

 reached the summit, and thus found that the ascent was 

 practicable ; and on reporting this fact to Marius, having 

 been ordered to lead a chosen band up the same part of 

 the rocks, he and his comrades so alarmed the garrison 

 by their unexpected appearance that they gave up the 

 castle to the besiegers. 



The Romans were very partial to snails as an article of 

 food, and fed them till they grew to a large size. Several 

 sorts are mentioned by Pliny, and they were all kept 

 separate ; amongst others, white ones that were found in 

 the neighbourhood of Rieti. He describes the Illyrian 



* Proverbial Philosophy. 



