62 HELICIM:. 



article of food, and in Venice and other parts of the 

 Continent I have seen baskets-full collected for this 

 purpose. The taste is insipid, and the animals are apt 

 to be tough if not well boiled. As nourishing food, 

 however, they rank with calPs-foot jelly, oysters, &c. 



A sinistral monstrosity occasionally occurs which is 

 said to be worth a guinea. 



Var. I. albo-fasciata. Reddish brown, with a single 

 white band. 



Var. II. exalbida. ' Yellowish or whitish. 



Var. III. conoidea. Small, thin, conical (sand-hills 

 on sea coast). 



Var. IV. tennis. Dwarfed, thin (Channel Isles). 



5. H. NEMOEALIS (inhabiting groves). 



Globular, solid, very brilliantly and variously coloured ; 

 whorls five and a half; umbilicus distinct in the young, 

 but covered in the adult ; inside lip reddish brown. 



This is the common and pretty snail which spots the 

 country hedges after a shower of rain. It is also found 

 in great abundance on sand-hills by the sea coast. 



There are said to be nearly two hundred colour 

 varieties of the common type, and nearly fifty of the 

 Var. hortensis I The collector will do well to make a 

 series of varieties according to his fancy, keeping three 

 or four of each sort, and then to fill up the gaps with 



