48 



establishment in this country ; and together with 

 their general diffusion in certain soils, incline us 

 to consider them as indigenous, and not introduced 

 by Sir Kenelm Digby for medicinal purposes, nor, 

 according to Da Costa, by Mr. Howard as an 

 article of food. 



It is probable that this is the species mentioned by 

 Sallust, so instrumental in the capture of the 

 castle near the river Malacha in Spain, and which 

 effected the termination of the Jugurthan war. 

 This castle was besieged by Marius the Roman 

 general, who from its strength and resistance 

 began to despair of reducing it. One Ligus, a 

 mercenary of the army, wandering to procure 

 water from the camp to the foot of the castle, 

 found some snails crawling among the rocks : and 

 having gathered first one, then another, and anxious 

 to get more, was by little and little conducted to 

 the summit of the mountain, at the back of the 

 castle, by a rugged and unknown path. Per- 

 ceiving the enemy busied in defending themselves 

 in the front of the castle, with their backs towards 

 him, Ligus stole down undiscovered, and informing 

 his general of the circumstance, Marius sent a 

 chosen band under the guidance of Ligus by the 

 same path, who rushing unexpectedly on the be- 

 sieged shortly took the castle. 



