126 HELICHXE. 



the whole shell, making it brown, or even nearly 

 black. Also sometimes in shape, and more or less in 

 the elevation and depression of the spire, and in the 

 size of the umbilicus. From its abundance, it is very 

 liable to the usual distortions : thus some are found 

 with the whorls reversed, or more commonly pro- 

 duced out of their usual course. It was a specimen 

 of this monstrosity that was called Helix elegans by 

 Brown, and H. disjuncta by Turton. 



Mr. Alder says that a very small variety of this 

 shell is found on the coast of North Devon, which is 

 probably the Helix maritima of Draparnaud. I have 

 not been able to see this variety. It is also referred 

 to by Jeffreys (Linn. Trans, xiii. 335.) ; but the con- 

 tinental authors do not mix them together. 



In the autumn these shells are often suddenly ob- 

 served in such great numbers as to give rise to the 

 popular notion of their having fallen from the clouds; 

 and in very hot weather the young both of this spe- 

 cies and the H. pisana may be found in clusters 

 adhering to the stalks of various plants, with the 

 aperture closed by a thin pellicle (epiphragni), except 

 where it is in contact with the plant. 



This shell is very hardy, and appears nearly in- 

 sensible to cold, as it does not hybernate even when 

 the ground is covered with snow. 



There has been considerable discussion respecting 

 the name of this shell ; but there can be no doubt 

 Da Costa's name, also used by Montagu, has the 

 priority. Draparnaud's name has been preferred 

 because it was shortly characterised by him in his 

 " Tableau" (1801) printed one year before Montagu ; 



