WHELKS 



401 



crawls along it pours out its slime, and so obtains a moist footing. 

 But in dry weather it goes to sleep inside its shell, and waits until 

 there is a fall of rain or dew. 



The skin or covering of the snail is called the mantle; and it 

 is by this that the shell is made. As the snail grows, it adds 

 more and more to the 

 edge of the shell, so as to 

 make it big enough for 

 its body. If you look 

 carefully at the shell, you 

 will see that these little 

 additions are marked by 

 what are called " lines of 

 growth ". 



The snail cannot bear 

 cold, so it hides away in 

 some snug hole as soon 

 as winter begins. It closes 

 up the mouth of its shell 

 by making two or even three horny doors, with just a tiny aperture 

 in each to allow it to breathe. 



In some parts of the world snails are used as food, and people 

 even fatten them for the table. The Romans were fond of them ; 

 and in some of the old Roman camps we may still find a large 

 species of snail which they introduced into this country. 



I, Eggs of Snail; 2, Shell taken from Egg; 

 3, Young Snail; 4, Full-grown Snail 



WHELKS (Family BucciNiD^) 



Among the commonest shells that we find lying upon the sea- 

 shore are those of the Whelks. We can scarcely help noticing them, 

 for they He about everywhere. Here, on the open sand, are two or 

 three of larger size, with a pale yellow band running round them, 

 like those that are sold for food in so many of our large towns. 

 Behind this rock is another, quite white, but with a number of bold, 

 wrinkled ridges winding spirally round it from top to bottom. 

 And here, in this ridge of broken coal, small flints, and bits of 



(M868) 2D 



