NOTES. 53 



apertures with a calcareous lid, resembling an operculum, and 

 remain in a torpid state until spring. — Mawe. 



Exotic Snails are used as food during lent, in several parts of 

 Europe ; they are fattened for the purpose in large reservoirs, the 

 floors of which are covered with herbs and flowers. This species 

 formed a favorite dish with the luxurious Romans, who fed them 

 on bran and wine, till thej grew to such a size, that, if we may 

 credit the testimony of Varro, the shells would contain ten quarts* 

 Admitting the truth of this account, the temperance of the 

 younger Pliny, will no longer be a subject of admiration, whose 

 supper consisted of a lettuce for each guest, three snails, two 

 eggs, barley cake, sweet wine and snow ; Fulvius Herpinus, is 

 said to have introduced this luxury, a short time before the wars 

 of Caesar and Pompey. — English Encyclopedia. 



The Helix Vivipara and Helix Teutaculata, Viviparous and 

 Durky Helices, are furnished with homy opercula, or small 

 pieces of shell answering the purposes of doors or shutters, by 

 means of which they close the apertures of their shells, and thus 

 completely exclude the water. — Brooke. 



Helices abound in almost every part of the known world, they 

 furnish an important article of food on the shores of the Mediter- 

 ranean, where they are boiled in their shells and served up with 

 rice. — Voyager's Companion. 



They possess much of the quality of oysters, and are extremely 

 nutritious, the use of them not unfrequently retards the fatal ter- 

 mination of that less active fonn of consumption called a decline, 

 and so long as sufiicient quantity could be procured, many patients 

 have appeared convalescent from the rapid recovery of their 

 strength. — Voyager's Companion.. 



