LAND AND FRESH-WATER SHELLS. 



CHAPTER I. 



COLLECTING AND PRESERVING SNAILS, MUSSELS, AND SLUGS. 



IN my "Shell- Collector's Handbook for the Field," I have laid 

 down five rules to be strictly followed when out collecting, which, 

 advisably, may be recapitulated here. They are as follows : 



1. Never leave a stone unturned. 



2. Never pass by a nettle without a full examination of its stem, 

 branches, leaves, and the vegetation which grows below and 

 around it. 



3. Never leave untouched, and unexamined, moss at the roots 

 of trees, or the dead leaves under them. 



4. Always examine the vegetation on walls, and the grass which 

 grows around their foundations. 



5. Never forget, when searching for water-specimens, to examine 

 the water-plants, and the under surface of any floating log of 

 wood, as well as the bed of the pond, brook, or stream. An 

 examination of caddis-cases will also often give a large number of 

 water specimens. 



In a review of the book from whence the above rules have 

 been extracted, which appeared in one of our Natural History 

 " Monthlies," the reviewer in touching upon these points 

 expressed himself to the effect that when an individual is observed 

 to be faithfully carrying them out " we may rest assured that we 

 are watching the shell-collector on the war-path." No; "the 

 shell-collector " is only " on the war-path " when he searches 

 everywhere, for snails and slugs are omnipresent creatures, and are 

 not, on the whole, very particular as to where they make their 



