A PRETTY LAND-SHELL. r/j 



beautiful. Though the year is no\v so far 

 advanced, the trees are still as green as in 

 springtide ; and the meadows, with their rich 

 aftermath springing up apace, look almost 

 as lush and fresh as they did in early June. 

 Londoners who get away to the country or 

 the seaside this month will enjoy an unex- 

 pected treat in seeing the fields as they 

 ought to be seen a couple of months sooner 

 in the season. 



Here, on the edge of the down, where I 

 have come up to get a good blowing from 

 the clear south-west breeze, I have just sat 

 down to rest myself awhile and to admire the 

 view, and have reverted for a moment to my 

 old habit of snail-hunting. Years ago, when 

 evolution was an infant an infant much 

 troubled by the complaints inseparable from 

 infancy, but still a sturdy and vigorous child, 

 destined to outlive and outgrow its early 

 attacks I used to collect slugs and snails, 

 from an evolutionist standpoint, and put their 

 remains into a cabinet ; and to this day I 



