HELICID.E. SNAIL. 233 



abundance. Much amusement was afforded to the 

 Spaniards by Rossmassler throwing away the delicate 

 animal, and only retaining its shell, which to them was 

 worthless, but most valuable to him as a conchologist. 

 Upon one occasion, on arriving at a posada, he found the 

 hotel people sitting down to their midday meal, before 

 a great dish of snails. He says : " One look satisfied 

 me that they were of a rare kind, for which I had 

 sought in vain, and I immediately seized upon some 

 of the empty shells, which caused a universal laugh. 

 I did not care at all for this, but I had actually to pay 

 a real (about 2s. 4d.) for the empty shells, which, when 

 living, I could have got for nothing." This was 

 thoroughly Spanish. 



Dr. W. Gottlob Rosenhauer, in his 'Die Thiere 

 Andalusiens/ says that Helix lactea, which is very 

 abundant, and readily found close to stones, amongst 

 grass, near Malaga, and San Fernando, is brought in 

 great numbers to the markets in Andalusia, and that 

 the empty shells may be seen there all about the streets. 

 Both Helix aspersa and Helix lactea are used abundantly 

 for food, but the latter tastes better, and is more deli- 

 cate. They are generally cooked in rice, with butter 

 or some other greasy substance, and held in a napkin 

 whilst the animal is picked out with a pin ; or some- 

 times the mouth (or head) is first cut off, and the 

 animal is then drawn out by suction, a proceeding 

 not very elegant, at least according to our English ideas. 

 Helix lactea may also be classed among the edible 

 snails of France, and is found in the Pyrenees, and 

 also in Corsica. 



Dr. Ebrard was informed by Dr. Eoi, the Inspector 

 of Colonization in Africa, that in the market at Algiers 



