VITRINA PELLUCIDA. q 
Food and Habits.—Vitrina pellucida has an almost omnivorous 
appetite, and is credited with feeding upon Liverwort (Jungermannia 
platyphylla), mosses, fallen leaves, and decaying vegetable matter. It is 
also carnivorous, being said by Dr. Baudon to voraciously devour raw 
mutton, and will also feast upon the bodies of dead or dying worms and 
animals of its own or other species. 
According to the observations of various authors, it is found every- 
where on the limestone, is an abundant species on the clay, but is less 
common on the sandstones, although found in myriads about the roots of 
Rosa spinosissima on the sandhills near Swansea in Wales, and swarming 
on the mossy sand-dunes of the north coast of Ireland and elsewhere. 
It ranges from sea-level to considerable altitudes, reaching a height of 
1,750 feet in Glen ‘lilt, Perthshire, and 3,000 feet on Craig Calleach. In 
the 'I'yrol, it ascends to 7,000 feet, and was recorded by Mons. F. Rofhaen 
as living at the roots of Arenaria on the Riffelberg at an elevation of 
9,000 feet above the sea. 
V. pellucida is a common species in the winter months, at which period 
it attains its full growth, and is a bold and hardy animal, crawling actively 
about in the coldest weather, but is more gregarious than some of its 
congeners, and though most in evidence on damp days, or after a shower, 
has been seen moving actively about in the middle of the day even in dry 
weather. It is, however, ordinarily crepuscular and nocturnal in habit, 
coming out at sunset to feed, and retirmg during the day beneath moss, 
stones, decaying wood, and other shelter, though according to ‘hompson 
it is particularly partial to concealment beneath the large, rough leaves of 
the Scotch elhn (Ulmus montanus). It is capable of retiring completely 
within its shell, especially in dry weather, but during continued wet when 
its tissues are saturated with moisture is not always able to do so. 
Though a geophilous species, it has, according to Mr. R. H. 8. Smith 
and Herr Lindinger, the power of spinning a mucus-thread, and occasion- 
ally ascends trees, having been observed by Sterki at a height of three 
feet upon the trunks of the pine trees in the Swiss forests. 
Mr. W. E. Collinge credits this species with possessing a strong 
homing! instinct, and personally vouches for it resorting to many cunning 
devices to escape the keen eyes of its enemies. 
He says: “I have observed that when crawling on the edge of some 
stone or leafless twig, it will sometimes suddenly give its tail a jerk, suft- 
cient to throw shell and owner to the ground, where it is soon lost to sight 
amongst the surrounding vegetation ; at other times, it will roll away a 
few inches, and repeat the jumping motion. Another means of protection 
which it possesses is that of attaching to itself bits of leaves or soil, 
which entirely cover the shell and animal, thus causing it to resemble the 
natural surroundings.” 
The pulsations of the heart are very responsive to changes of tempera- 
ture, beating only about fifty-one times per minute when placed on a cool 
table, but immediately increasing to ninety-eight per minute when placed 
upon the warm hand of the observer, but the action was then somewhat 
spasmodic, a momentary pause being followed by a rapid palpitation. 
Mr. Alder records a rapidity of one-hundred-and-twenty contractions per 
minute, but does not give the circumstances under which this number 
were observed. 
1 Monog. i., p. 312. 
