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H L L L E B R U S - H E L O P H O 11 1 D .. 



would no longer be the signal for its barbarous de- 

 struction. The genus Hciu; as it now stands esta- 

 blished according to the modern school of naturalists, 

 comprehends such of the shells, so called by Linnaeus, 

 as present the following constant and similar generic 

 characters in all their species, namely, their being 

 orbicular, convex, or conoid, generally globular ; 

 aperture entire, of a greater width than length, very 

 oblique, contiguous to the axes of the shell, having 

 the margin of it disunited by the angle of the pre- 

 vious evolution or whorl ; the lip constantly thick- 

 ened or reflected inwards, a circumstance which never 

 takes place in marine or fresh-water shells, \vhose 

 general appearance, in other respects, might resemble 

 that of the Helix. The summit is always rounded 

 and smooth, never turriculated, as in some very 

 similar molluscs ; the substance of the shell is never 

 pearly, though externally and internally highly 

 polished. 



The animal is so constantly under our convenient 

 observation, that it need not be here minutely de- 

 scribed ; and it affords so much instruction in the 

 formation of shells generally, that we earnestly invite 

 the young naturalist to walk abroad and seek from a 

 snail that practical information which volumes might 

 fail to convey so clearly or so satisfactorily. 



During the heat of the day these animals conceal 

 themselves in moist shady places, and during winter 

 they hybernate in the holes of trees and walls, and 

 not unfrequently beneath the surface of the ground ; 

 some of them closing the aperture of their shell with 

 a false or temporary operculum, protecting them from 

 enemies and the change of temperature while they 

 remain in that inactive or torpid state. Some instances 

 have been pointed out already, in the article CONCHO- 

 LOGY, of the tenacity of this animal's life, and we 

 need only add, that we believe it to be a well-attested 

 fact, that a portion, or even the whole, of its head will 

 be reproduced after having been severed from the 

 body by accident or philosophical cruelty. 



Being ourselves so much indebted to the snail for 

 unravelling some of the apparently mysterious ope- 

 rations of nature in this branch of natural history, 

 we cannot quit this article without trespassing a short 

 time longer on the space allotted to our subject, a 

 circumstance we have constant reason to regret, 

 though it is our anxious wish to compress every use- 

 ful information into the least possible compass. Should 

 any doubt yet linger in the naturalist's mind of the 

 propriety of adopting the system of modern malaco- 

 logy, founded as it is upon the organisation of the 

 animals constructing and inhabiting a testaceous 

 covering, in preference to that of former schools, in 

 which the capricious shape of the shell solely guided 

 the formation of their genera, let him examine the 

 labours of the snail and judge for himself he will 

 there meet with such unanswerable evidence of the 

 wisdom of deserting hi? old prejudices, that it would 

 be palpably absurd still to adhere to them when 

 another course is pointed out to him by Nature 

 herself. In every case the study of nature would 

 be greatly facilitated by observing more narrowly the 

 indications she furnishes for a correct classification of 

 distinct genera and species, which are but too fre- 

 quently considered of little value, or altogether over- 

 looked from being often but slightly defined ; they are, 

 nevertheless, of the utmost importance, and enable 

 us to judge by analogy of that which we cannot in most 

 cases confirm by actual observation, since the habits 



of molluscs arc so little known and so difficult to ex- 

 amine. 



From the extremely numerous species of this 

 genus, all naturalists have agreed upon the necessity 

 of forming certain sub-divisions to facilitate a know- 

 ledge of the species. De Montfort pointed out se- 

 veral, Oken proposed others, and many other writers 

 have done the same ; but the Baron de Ferrussac has 

 the most effectively occupied himself with this group 

 of molluscs, and pointed out, to our thinking, the best 

 and the most natural arrangement of the genus Helix. 

 To his splendid publication, therefore, we must refer 

 our readers for that minute detail we cannot here give 

 at length, and will not be unjust enough to mutilate 

 by abbreviation. Of the genus but few are known in 

 a fossil state, and perhaps not more than three ana- 

 logous to recent examples. A reference to the article 

 FOSSIL will satisfactorily explain this fact, we will, 

 therefore, conclude with observing that the genus 

 Helix occupies a most important station in the eco- 

 nomy of nature, and is well worth a much more 

 serious contemplation than has hitherto been be- 

 stowed upon it, as it is one which will eventually 

 conduce to beneficial results as yet but little known, 

 particularly in this country, where snails are con- 

 sidered as common pests, and exterminated with in- 

 veterate diligence. The Linnaean genus Helix now 

 forms the family Limacina of modern writers. 



HELLEBORUS (Linnaeus). A genus of Euro- 

 pean herbs, particularly well known for their imputed 

 poisonous qualities. Class and order Polyandria 

 Polygynia, and natural order Ranunculacece. Some 

 of them are early flowerers ; hence one is called the 

 Christmas rose. The whole are accounted violent 

 drastic purgatives, and in large doses dangerous. 

 They are mostly now laid aside, and with reason, as 

 when incautiously administered as anthelmintics death 

 has ensued. The H. orientalis grows plentifully on 

 Mount Athos at Delphi, and on the Bithynian 

 Olympus. 



HELLENIA (Willdenow). A genus of perennial 

 herbs found in New Holland and China, belonging to 

 the first class and order of Linnaeus, and to the natu- 

 ral order ScitamiueeE. 



HELONIAS (Linnaeus). North American herb- 

 aceous perennials, belonging to the sixth class of 

 Linnaeus, and natural order Melanthacece. These 

 plants are hardy, and affect a peat soil and moist 

 situation. They are increased by division or 

 seeds. 



HELOPHILUS (Meigen). A genus of dip- 

 terous insects, belonging to the section Athericera and 

 family Syrphidae, having the body rather long and 

 nearly smooth, the hind thighs large, thickened, and 

 finely toothed, the face impressed below the antennae, 

 and the wings not carried horizontally when at rest. 

 These are large flies, nearly allied to ERISTALIS 

 (which see), being however much fewer in number of 

 species, the type being the Musca pendula, a name 

 given to it in allusion to the habits of the larva?, which 

 resemble those of Eristalis both in structure and 

 locality, as do also those of the perfect insect. 



HELOPHORID^E (Leach). A family of coleo- 

 pterous insects, belonging to the section Pentamera 

 and subsection Philhydrida of MacLeay. This family 

 comprises a few genera of minute aquatic beetles 

 which seem to form the connecting link between the 

 true water and land beetles, having clavate antennae. 

 In this point of view, therefore, the family possess 



