VII POWER OF SMELL IN MOLLUSCA 1 93 



hundreds on gigantic medusae which are stranded on the sandy 

 bays near the Cape of Good Hope. Dr. J. G. Jeffreys says ^ that 

 quantities of the common Neptunea antiquct " are procured on the 

 Cheshire coast by the fishermen placing a dead dog on the sands 

 at low-water mark during spring tides. The bait is then com- 

 pletely covered with stones, which are piled up like a cairn. On 

 the next turn of the tide the heap of stones is visited, and the 

 whelks are found on the surface in great numbers, having been 

 apparently attracted by the smell of the bait, but unable to get 

 at it." Mr. W. A. Lloyd kept specimens of JVassa reticulata in 

 a tank in the sand, at the bottom of which they usually remained 

 buried. If a piece of meat of any kind were drawn over the 

 sand, the JVassa would appear above the surface in a few minutes. 

 Half-picked beef or mutton bones, if placed in the tank, were 

 covered in a few minutes. In fact, no animal matter, whether 

 living or dead, could be introduced without the Hassa smellina; 

 it, and coming up to see what they could get.^ 



Any one can experiment for themselves on the olfactory 

 powers of our common snails or slugs. Moquin-Tandon records ^ 

 two interesting cases, one communicated to him by letter, the 

 other occurring to himself His correspondent, a M. Parenteau, 

 was one day walking along a dusty high-road, when he noticed, 

 near the middle of the road, an empty bean-pod and two Ai'ions 

 eating it. Attributing the meeting of feeders and food to mere 

 chance, he was walking on, when he noticed a second bean-pod, 

 and, about two yards away from it, a third Arion, hurrying 

 straight towards it. When the Ariun had yet more than a yard 

 to traverse, M. Parenteau picked up the bean and put it in his 

 pocket. The Arion stopped, raised its head, and turned in every 

 direction, waving its tentacles, but without advancing. M. 

 Parenteau then carried the bean to the other side of the road, 

 and put it in a small hole behind a piece of stone. The Arion, 

 after a moment's indecision, started off straight for the bean. 

 Again the position of the precious morsel was changed, and 

 again the Arion made for it, this time without being further 

 tantalised. M. Moquin-Tandon noticed, one rainy day in the 

 botanical gardens at Toulouse, two Limax maximus appi-oaching 

 a rotten apple from different directions. He changed the position 



^ Brilish Conchology, i. p. xxviii. 

 ^ Science Gossip, 1865, p. 259. ' Molhisques de France, i. p. 130. 



VOL. Ill 



