The Land Snails. Helices 



naturalist writing to the Journal of Conchology mentions that 

 when working in his garden toward evening he is often bitten 

 by midges. These bites swell and burn afterward, unless he 

 picks up a snail and lets it crawl over the part bitten. After 

 this treatment all signs of the bites disappear. 



Whistles and other toys, necklaces and bracelets made of 

 snail shells are sold to tourists all over Europe. H.nemoralis 

 and H. acuta are the species commonly used for stringing. 



Snails are the accepted barometers of the common people. 

 If they leave the herbage and take to the bare rocks, or if they 

 climb trees you may expect rain. 



Dishonest dairymen manufacture "cream" out of skim 

 milk by squeezing into it the clear mucus of snails. The consis- 

 tence of the milk becomes creamy, and a little annatto gives 

 the yellow colour. This is a very ancient practice, but still in 

 favour in parts of England. 



The most beautiful of the Helices are the numerous species 

 of the Philippine genus Cochlostyla. Hugh Cuming was the 

 fortunate conchologist who discovered these wonderful land and 

 tree snails, gay as the birds and insects of those tropical islands. 

 Instead of rashly plunging into unknown tracts of forest jungle, 

 Cuming hired the natives to bring him all the snails they could 

 find. There was no danger, he knew, of an over supply, for to 

 the cabinets of European collectors these shells would soon be 

 distributed when he was ready to make known the treasure he 

 had uncovered in this far country. Children entered the race, 

 discovering many species their fathers overlooked. By tactful 

 explanations, and by curing some minor ailments by his knowledge 

 of medicine, Cuming established himself in the good graces of the 

 population, and thus was able to carry back to England all he 

 wanted (if that could ever be) of nearly two hundred species. 

 Imagine his feelings when one day he went out to meet one of 

 his native collectors who stalked along under the burden of a 

 large bag filled with specimens. Splendid Cochlostylae, at that 

 time absolutely unknown to the scientific world, were crawling 

 down the man's back and escaping to the woods. 



262 



