TliG Common Snail. 41 



but wliicli ifc can scarcely bo suspoctcil of liaving 

 hollowed out for its own accommodation. Fig. 5^ 

 tlie Elegant Cyclostome {djclostoma elegans). On 

 turning to the dictionary, we find that cydos- 

 tomous means having a circular mouth. This 

 species is sometimes called Tiirho elcrjans ; the 

 beautifully-marked shells are often found in 

 chalky hills covered with brushwood. This pretty 

 mollusk has a curious mode of travelling; the 

 under surface of the foot, wdiich is long, is divided 

 by a deep fissure into two narrow strips, like 

 ribbons ; these take hold of whatever the creature 

 may be moving on alternately ; one keeping fast 

 hold v/hile the other advances, in like manner to 

 fix itself, and drag the body forward. Fig. G, 

 the Undulated Plekocheilos (P. nndulatus) ; the 

 Latin pledo — to twist or twine, seems to be the 

 root from which the generic name of this Snail 

 is derived ; the specific name w^lll be easily under- 

 stood ; to undulate, is to flow like waves, and the 

 lines on the shell it will be seen are undulating. 

 This is not a British species, but is introduced 

 here to give variety to the group ; it is a West 

 Indian Mollask, and is found in immense numbers 

 in the forests of St. Yincent ; it glues its eggs to 

 the leaves of a plant which holds w^ater, and thus 



