AGE OF SNAILS 39 



purchased from a dealer in whose (h-awer they had been ibr two 

 years. This dealer had them from a merchant at Mogador, who 

 had kept them for more than that time under similar conditions. 

 One of these shells on being immersed in water revived, and in 

 April 1849 was placed quite alone under a bell jar with earth 

 and food. In the end of the following October about thirty young 

 H. lactea w^ere found crawling on the glass. 



Mr. E. J). Darbishire bought ^ some H. ajpcrta in the market 

 at Nice on 18th February 1885. Two specimens of these, placed 

 with wool in a paper box, were alive in December 1888. This 

 is a very remarkable case, H. apertct not being, like H. desertorum, 

 H. lactea, H. VeatcMi and Bui. pallidior, a desert snail, and there- 

 fore not accustomed to fasting at all. 



Age of Snails. — It would appear, from the existing evidence, 

 which is not too plentiful, that five years is about the average 

 age of the common garden snail Mr. Gain has published ^ some 

 interesting observations on the life of a specimen from the cradle 

 to the grave, which may be exhibited in a tabular form. 



Aug. 1882. Eggs hatched ; one attained diameter of -|- in. 



before winter ; fed on coltsfoot and cabbage. 



5th Oct. 1883. Shell 1 in. in diameter, no lip formed. 



July 1884. Shell finished ; diameter 1-|- in., including 



perfect lip. 



3rd May 1885. Left winter quarters; companion introduced, 

 with which it was seen in company on 

 5 th August. 



9th Aug. „ Laid eggs in soil, which were hatched on 

 10th September, and feeding on 17th 

 September; in May 1886 the largest of 

 these was \]^ in. diameter. 



13th Oct. 1887. Old snail died, aged 5 years 2 montlis. 



According to Clessin, the duration of life in Vitrina is one 

 year, Cydas 2 years ; Hyalinia, Succinea,_Lim7iaea, Flanorhis, and 

 Ancylus are full grown in 2 to 3 years. Helix and Paludina in 2 

 to 4, -AW^ Anodonta in 12 to 14. Hazay finds ^ that the duration 

 of life in Hyalinia is 2 years, in Helix i^omatia 6 to 8, in Helix 

 candicans 2 to 3, in Paludina 8 to lQ,\w Limnaea and Flanorhis 

 3 to 4. 



' Journ. of Condi, vi. p. 101. - Kulurctlist, 1889, \). 55. 



- Malak. BIMt. (2) iv. pp. 43 and 221. 



