HELIX. 61 
recognised stratum of the Upper Tertiary formation in 
this country, and this would lead to the inference that 
it was introduced later. There is also a theory that it 
was introduced by the monks in the middle ages; but 
this interesting question has yet to be worked out. 
Morton, in his “Natural History of Northamptonshire,” 
published in 1712, mentions that “The Great Edible 
Snail, though common in some places in the Southern 
parts of Hngland, yet can scarce be brought to live with 
us; as appears by an experiment made by the late Lord 
ffatton, who put a great many live ones of this kind into: 
a convenient coppice near his house at A77éy, with inten- 
tions that they should breed there, but in a short time 
they all dy’d.” 
About 1810 General Arbuthnot brought some from 
abroad and introduced them into a shrubbery at 
Woodford, Northants, where they throve for some thirty 
years ; now no trace of them remains. 
A curious thickening of the lip is often found in this. 
species, and I once found a perfect pearl, which was 
detached from the shell, in a specimen I collected at 
Charing in Kent. 
It is found in Hants, Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Oxford, 
Gloucester and Bedfordshire. 
On the continent it is considered a delicacy, being 
fattened on vine leaves and is hence called the ‘vine 
snail.’ It may be seen exposed for sale in the markets. 
