58 GAIN : FOOD AND HABITS OF SLUGS AND SNAILS. 



they had not appeared on the surface, and could have taken no food, 

 but they had increased from barely 8 m.m. in diameter to nearly 

 9 mm. These probably died during the winter, though it is 

 reasonable to suppose they might have lived through it. In the 

 following August (18th) I found young and eggs — the latter hatched 

 on the 25th, and on 21st September the young shells measured from 

 9 - 5 to 30 mm. in diameter. From Oct. 10th, 1885, to Jan. 19th, 

 1886, the box was placed in the garden, as I doubted whether the 

 animals would form solid epiphragms if kept within doors. I now 

 know that this course was unnecessary. When removed to the 

 house, three of the If. pomatia were visible — two above the surface 

 with hard white chalky epiphragms just ivithin the mouth of the 

 shell, and one ? partly buried, mouth downwards, had a thin, bulging, 

 slightly-flexible epiphragm moulded to the irregular surface of the 

 hollow in which the shell was partially buried. All had within 

 a quantity of fluid resembling fine chalk mixed into a thin paste 

 with water. The dart of those dissected was too fragile for 

 preservation, consisting of a tender transparent material, alter 

 nating with opaque white portions. The following winter they 

 passed within the house, hybernating among leaves placed in the 

 box — one, mouth upwards, with a firm convex epiphragm, the edge 

 flush with the mouth of the shell ; the other, on its side, had 

 cast the first epiphragm and formed another — thin, tumid, and 

 irregular. 



I have noticed the noise made by this species when feeding ; the 

 crunching sound as they munch the crisp lettuce-leaves can be 

 heard at some distance from their box. 



I should like to record a curious circumstance which occurred in 

 1883. I had found three immature examples of H. uemoralis with 

 very transparent shells of a lilac colour. I fed them on coltsfoot and 

 nettles till they came to maturity, and when, after pouring boiling- 

 water on them, I extracted the animals, I found them of a bright 

 yellow colour, except the brown tips of the tails, and the heads, 

 which were nearly white. 



As illustrating the very small changes which may influence the 

 abundance or scarcity of a snail in any locality, I may mention that 

 in 1883 I discovered a colony of H. sericea occupying a portion of a 

 hedge-bottom twenty yards in length ; it was by far the most plentiful 

 snail in this part, associated with H. nemoralis,H.hortensis,H.hispida, 

 H. rotunda/a, Z. cellarius, Z. nitiduhis and its var. /ze/mii, and 

 Cochlocopa lubrica. All the other species extended beyond the 

 twenty-yards' limit, but very few H. sericea were found outside, and 

 I have never found more than one or two at a time in any other 



Naturalist, 



