CHAPTER V 

 FOOD, HABITS, ETC. 



THE food of the Mollusca is quite as varied as 

 their habit of life. 

 That most of the land Mollusca are vegetable 

 feeders is only too well known, but the worst 

 offenders are certain of the Slugs that bury by day 

 and only emerge to their feeding-grounds by night ; 

 while the larger kinds, that scorn subterfuge and con- 

 sequently bear the onus of the blame, more frequently 

 feed on fungi and lichens, and reject green food. 

 Some other Land Snails prefer decomposing vegeta- 

 tion. The Chitons, Limpets, and holostomatous Sea 

 Snails are nearly all vegetarians. In procuring their 

 food these vegetable consumers rasp the surface of 

 the plant tissues with the radula, and as they move 

 along, feeding as they go, they leave a track behind 

 them. The marks left by Limpets may frequently 

 be observed on the rocks off which they rasp the 

 small algae, while the similar tracks made by Snails 

 may under favourable conditions be seen on palings 



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