HELIX. 31 



H. ASPERSA. Mutter. PI. VI, fig. 2. 



Shell subglobose, brown colour with dark coloured bands ; whorls 

 four ; aperture ovato-lunate. 



This most beautiful of British snails is very generally 

 distributed over England, Scotland, and Ireland, and 

 may be found at any time under stones, in holes in old 

 walls, and amongst the hedge-rows. During the win- 

 ter they collect in great numbers in sheltered nooks, 

 fastening themselves together so as to form a gregarious 

 mass of sometimes scores of individual specimens. The 

 process of hybernation may be best seen in this species 

 on account of its size and great abundance. (See Penny 

 Cyclopaedia). There is little fear of confounding this 

 with any other British species, though it varies consi- 

 derably in form and colour ; the prevailing colour is 

 chocolate, though we occasionally meet with specimens 

 almost entirely white. The mouth is white. When 

 irritated the animal emits a peculiar green mucus. 

 Sometimes used as food for pulmonary affections. An 

 inch and a half in diameter. 



Hob. Found in all parts of the world. It is espe- 

 cially abundant in the neighbourhood of gardens. 



H. POMATIA. Linnceus. PI. V, fig. 17. 



Shell globose, solid, a tawny colour, with rufous bands, coarsely 

 wrinkled ; aperture roundish lunate. 



This shell which is generally known by the appella- 

 tion of " the edible snail," is found in the south of 

 England, and is by some considered a dainty dish. It 

 is principally used as a substitute for animal food during 

 lent. The Romans were particularly fond of them, and 

 probably introduced them into this island from the 

 neighbouring continent, they had their cochlcaria 

 (snailleries), where they were regularly fattened with 

 new wine boiled down with meal, and probably grew 

 to a much larger size than those found now within our 

 limits, which live on a much scantier and plainer fare. 

 The diameter of a full grown specimen rarely exceeds 

 two inches. 



