AGE OF SNAILS 



39 



years. This dealer had them from a merchant at Mogador, who 

 had kept them for more than that time under similar conditions. 

 One of these shells on being immersed in water revived, and in 

 April 1849 was placed quite alone under a bell jar with earth 

 and food. In the end of the following October about thirty 

 young H. laetea were found crawling on the glass. 



Mr. E,. D. Darbishire bought ^ some H. aperta in the market 

 at Nice on 18th February 1885. Two specimens of these, placed 

 with wool in a paper box, were alive in December 1888. This 

 is a very remarkable case, H. aperta not being, like H. deserto- 

 rum^ H. laetea^ H. Veatchii and Bui. pallidior^ a desert snail, and 

 therefore not accustomed to fasting at all. 



Age of Snails. — It would appear, from the existing evi- 

 dence, which is not too plentiful, that five years is about the 

 average age of the common garden snail. Mr. Gain has pub- 

 lished 2 some interesting observations on the life of a specimen 

 from the cradle to the grave, which may be exhibited in a tabu- 

 lar form. 



Aug. 1882. Eggs hatched ; one attained diameter of | in. 

 before winter ; fed on coltsfoot and cabbage. 

 5th Oct. 1883. Shell 1 in. in diameter, no lip formed. 

 July 1884. Shell finished ; diameter 1^ in., including 



perfect lip. 

 3rd May 1885. Left winter quarters ; companion introduced, 

 with which it was seen in company on 5th 

 August. 

 9th Aug. " Laid eggs in soil, which were hatched on 

 10th September, and feeding on 17th Sep- 

 tember; in May 1886 the largest of these 

 was \^ in. diameter. 

 13th Oct. 1887. Old snail died, aged 5 years 2 months. 

 According to Clessin, the duration of life in Vitrina is one 

 year, Cyclas 2 years ; Hyalinia^ Succinea^ Limnaea^ Planorbis, 

 and Ancylus are full grown in 2 to 3 years, Helix and Paludina 

 in 2 to 4, and Anodonta in 12 to 14. Hazay finds ^ that the 

 duration of life in Syalinia is 2 years, in Helix pomatia 6 to 8, 

 in Helix candicans 2 to 3, in Paludina 8 to 10, in Limnaea and 

 Planorhis 3 to 4. 



1 Journ. of Conch, vi. p. 101. 2 Naturalist^ 1889, p. 55. 



3 Malak. Bldtt. (2) iv. pp. 43 and 221. 



