142 VITRINA. 



a little flattened below, suture wrinkled, aperture lunately 

 rounded. Diam. 6, alt. 3'5 mill. 



Germany, Switzerland, N. Italy, France, 



England, Sweden, etc. 



The synonymy includes Helix limacoides, Alten ; Vitrina 



beryllina, C. Pfr.; V. Mulleri and Dillwynii, Jeffreys ; Helix 



domestica, Strom; H. diaphana, Poiret; Vitrina subglobosa, Mich. 



Several varieties have been described, which are of but little 



importance. Among -them are : 



Var. DILLWYNI, Jeffreys. Shell depressed globose, last whorl 



convex, spire elevated. 

 Var. MINOR, Westerlund. Shell small, depressed, thinner, 



hyaline, aperture rounded. 

 Var. BELLARDII, Pollonera (fig. 16). Shell more shining, flatter 



above, more convex below, smoother, minutely striulate at 



the suture. 



The animal of V. pellucida is a favorite morsel with the 

 hedge-hog ; numerous fragments of the shells being found in its 

 stomach. The food of the Glass-Snails, according to Dr. J. 

 Gwyn Jeffreys (Brit. Conch., i, 156, 157) "is partly vegetable, 

 consisting of Jungermaimise and decayed leaves, and partly 

 animal. I once saw no less than seven individuals of V. pellu- 

 cida busily engaged in feeding on a scarcely dead earth-worm, 

 which was faintly writhing about and endeavoring in vain to get 

 rid of its tiny assailants. They have also been noticed eating 

 horse-dung. They live in moist and shady places, but are seldom 

 met with until late in the autumn. Their eggs are deposited in 

 small heaps and have a membraneous covering. They are active 

 and hardy creatures, and, whether crawling or at rest, seem 

 always to keep the outer lobe of the mantle in motion so as to 

 polish the shell. Bouchard-Chantereaux says that it does not 

 begin laying its eggs until Sept.-Nov., and that the young attain 

 their full growth in from eight to ten months, He believes it 

 does not live longer than from twelve to fifteen months, having 

 always found a number of dead individuals in January, after the 

 close of the breeding season. Miiller has noticed that it is most 

 lively during rain, and that it does not soon die if put in water. 

 He added that while it was under water it extended all its body 



