

20 EDIBLE BRITISH MOLLUSKS. 



large baskets of snails, often have to traverse great tracts 

 of hilly country, and are obliged to go out very early in 

 the morning, before sunrise, in search of these crea- 

 tures, as they are then to be found in more abundance. 

 Much amusement was afforded to the Spaniards, by 

 Rossmassler throwing away the delicate animal, and 

 only retaining its shell, which to them was worthless, but 

 most valuable to him as a conchologist. Upon one oc- 

 casion, on arriving at a posada, he found the hotel 

 people sitting down to their midday meal, before a great 

 dish full of snails. He says : — " One look satisfied me 

 that they were of a rare kind, for which I had sought 

 in vain; and I immediately seized upon some of the 

 empty shells, which caused a universal laugh. I did 

 not care at all for this, but I had actually to pay a real 

 (about 2s. Aid.) for the empty shells, which, when living, 

 I could have got for nothing." This was thoroughly 

 Spanish. 



Dr. W. Gottlob Rosenhauer, in his ' Die Thiere An- 

 dalusiens/ says that Helix lactea, which is very abun- 

 dant, and readily found close to stones amongst grass, 

 near Malaga, and San Fernando, is brought in great 

 numbers to the markets in Andalusia, and that the 

 empty shells may be seen there all about the streets. 

 Both Helix aspersa and Helix lactea are used abundantly 

 for food, but the latter tastes better, and is more deli- 

 cate. They are generally cooked in rice, with butter or 

 some other greasy substance, and held in a napkin 

 whilst the animal is picked out with a pin ; or some- 

 times the mouth (or head) is first cut off, and the ani- 

 mal is then drawn out by suction, — a proceeding not 

 very elegant, at least according to our English ideas. 

 Helix lactea may also be classed among the edible snails 



