THE SPIRAL SNAIL 351 



snail sees and smells with the tips of its long ten- 

 tacles/' 



"I have noticed that if you bring anything near 

 the snail's long horns, the animal draws them in." 



44 This combination of nose and eyr can retreat, ad- 

 vance, go to meet an object, and catch odors from all 





sides. To find a similar nose, you must go from a 

 snail to an elephant, whose trunk is an exceptionally 

 Ion -4; nose. But how much superior the snail's is to 

 the elephant's! Sensitive to odors and light, eye 

 and nose at the same time, it can retire within itself 

 like the finger of a glove, disappear by reentering 

 tin- animal's body, or come out from under the skin 

 and lengthen itself like a telescope. " 



"I have often seen how the snail pulls his horns 

 in," observed Emile. "They fold back inward and 

 seem to bury themselves under the skin. \\ "In i n any- 

 thing annoys it, the animal puts its nose and eyes 

 into its pocket." 



"Precisely. To protect ourselves from too strong 

 a light or an unpleasant odor, we shut our pupils 

 and stop up our nose. The snail, it t he light troubles 



