49 THE SNAIL. 55 



anced on the snail's back than this cone with nearly 

 all its weight at the base! If the shell breaks, the 

 animal throws a sticky fluid across the fracture, and 

 soon a horny patch has grown as good as new. 



The snail is more complete in its formation than the 

 oyster. The oyster has no foot. The snail has a 

 foot running along on the under side of its body. The 

 oyster has 90 head. The snail has a head. The or- 

 gans of the oyster are scattered about the mouth near 

 the hinge, the feelers, 

 ears, and eyes on the J *! 



edge of the mantle. 



The snail's senses are 

 gathered in its head. 

 The mouth, eyes, feel- 

 ers, and smelling or- 

 gans are there. The 

 snail has a real mouth 

 with hard jaws ; and a 

 long tongue like a rib- Pond SnalL 



bon, covered with teeth which work against the upper 

 jaw and crunch the weeds it feeds upon. The oyster 

 is water-breathing, the snail is air-breathing. It has a 

 little sac which answers for lungs ; and the pond snail, 

 working on the water bottom, comes to the top occa- 

 sionally, sets free the bubble of air it has used, takes 

 a fresh bubble, and returns to its work in the water. 



The snail has been slandered because it is slow. It 

 is fast enough ; faster than the oyster, which never 

 moves from its seat. And then it goes as swiftly as 

 it can, so that no one can charge it with being lazy. 

 When, too, it is considered that this creeper has but 



