THE EDIBLE SNAIL. 



405 



act as eyes. These tentacles are retractile ; and it is very interesting to watch them 

 drawn back or pushed out like the ringer of a glove, and to see the curious manner in 

 which the eye speck is shot, as it were, through the tentacle attached to the slender 

 black thread which runs up its centre. 



THE genus Helix, which is universally accepted as the type of this family, is of 

 enormous extent, both in numbers and range of locality, containing more than fourteen 

 hundred species, and spread nearly over the whole earth. The common garden Snail 

 is a too familiar instance of this genus, but is so well known, that it is not figured in 

 the engraving, nor will it be described. I may, however, mention, that its depredations 



CHRYSALIS-SHELL. Pupa uva. LEMON BULIMUS. u//mu* citrlaus. 



TESTACELLA. Testacella hallotoldes. GREAT GRAY SLUG. Umax aatlquorum. 



(Empty shell on left.) EDIBLE 5NAIL Helix pomatla. (Empty shell beneath). 



can, in a great measure, be checked by searching for it in the winter months, and 

 taking it from the crevices in which it hides itself, or even by destroying the eggs which 

 it lays just under the surface of the soil, and which look like pellucid peas. The much- 

 maligned thrush, too, is a mighty hunter of Snails, and, in spite of its autumnal raids 

 on the fruit, does such good service in Snail-killing before the world is astir, that it 

 ought to be encouraged by the gardener and the fruit which it eats considered as the 

 wages paid for killing the Snails. 



OUR present example is the great EDIBLE SNAIL, which is even now largely consumed 

 in many parts of the world, and is regularly fed and fattened for that purpose. In 

 England it is not very common, but in certain localities may generally be found. It is 



