iSpi.] WALTON — MOLLUSCA OF MONROE COUNTY. 9 



ravines, preferring the underside of a projecting mossy log, where 

 may be found also our native slugs ; the Fatiila alternata loves the 

 underside of dead stumps in wet places and also the clefts of shaly 

 ledges where there is considerable moisture ; the Stenotrema mono- 

 don, S. hirsiita and Patula perspectiva live and thrive under the bark 

 of decaying stumps or old prostrate logs ; I found over eighty speci- 

 mens of the latter under the bark of one such log and all in fine con- 

 dition. The smaller species of Helix I find under bark, chips or 

 stones and sometimes among moss. 



The general impression concerning the food habits of these snails 

 is that they are vegetable feeders ; this impression obtains doubtless 

 from the well known fact that some of the species are very destructive 

 to young shoots and plants in greenhouses. Dr. Binney, however, 

 calls attention to the carnivorous habit of Macrocyclis concava, which 

 without doubt is true, though I have not observed it personally ; he 

 also speaks in another place of a Mesodon Sayii devouring its own 

 eggs. Of this cannibal tendency in some of the species I had abun- 

 dant evidence during the past summer in the Zonites fuliginosa j fully 

 one-third of the specimens of this Helix, taken during a special 

 search of two weeks by myself and pupils, were found devouring shell 

 and animal — sometimes of its own species — but more frequently the 

 young of Mesodon albolabris, M. thyroides, M. Sayii and Tj-iodopsis 

 palliaia. This was in July and possibly the time of year may have 

 somewhat to do with this habit, as in the case of some seed-eating 

 birds that are known to consume large numbers of insects in the feed- 

 ing of their young and probably of themselves during the breeding 

 season. 



Toward the approach of winter these snails hibernate, burrowing 

 beneath the dense carpet of leaves and under logs for this purpose, 

 where they may be safe from their common enemies and the inclem^- 

 encies of the coming winter. They may be found in these retreats 

 lying with the mouth of the shell upward, within which the animals 

 have made two or more hard glutinous partitions (epiphragms) before 

 entering upon their long winter's rest. Our native Limaces (snails 

 without shells) are found in similar retreats only partially dormant 

 and protected from extreme cold by a thick coating of mucus which 

 they are able to effuse for this purpose. 



Very fine and accurate illustrations of our native Helices are 

 given in W. G. Binney's excellent " Manual of American Land Shells," 

 to which the reader is referred for further details concerning this 

 interesting group of the Mollusca. 



