342 THE SNAIL. 



ed to destroy them, though a land tortoise would more 

 effectually accomplish this end. At the approach of 

 winter the snail retires to some hole in the earth, 

 which, to prevent the air from penetrating into, it 

 carefully closes up with slime ; and there it remains, 

 iu a state of torpidity, until the rays of the sun recal it 

 into life. 



Such are the striking particulars in the history of this 

 animal, which may give a general idea of the habits 

 and manners of the kind : the sea snail is a much larger 

 creature ; and we are told there are no less than fifteen 

 of the tribe. Of the fresh-water snail there are eight 

 species ; but, of the land, only five. The sea snail has 

 only two horns or feelers, and is thought to possess an 

 imperfect kind of sight : the nautilus is allowed to be 

 the most singular of this species ; the shell of one kind 

 resembles mother-of-pearl, and the other is beautifully 

 white. 



The land and water snail not only differ from each 

 other in size, but in the position in which the mouth 

 is placed ; in the former, the mouth is situated like that 

 of quadrupeds, and furnished with jaw-bones, lips, and 

 teeth; but in the latter, its direction takes a longi- 

 tudinal shape, whilst those of the trochus kind have no 

 mouth whatsoever, but are supplied with a trunk that 

 answers the place ; this trunk is muscular, hollow, and 

 supple, and towards the extremity it is toothed like a 

 saw. Amongst their own tribe of animals they seem 

 to be dreaded, as they are both a destructive and vora- 

 cious race. 



