HELICIDJJ. — SNAIL. 23 



Gwillim, in his ' Heraldry,' informs us that the snail 

 is called Tardigrada domiporta, the " slow-going house- 

 bearer/' and adds, " the bearing of the snail doth sig- 

 nify, that much deliberation must be used in matters of 

 great difficulty and importance ; for, although the snail 

 goeth most slowly, yet, in time she ascendeth to the top 

 of the highest tower, as Mr. Carew, of Antony, hath 

 wittily moralized in his poem, intituled ' The Herring's 

 Tail.'" He gives snails as the armorial bearings of the 

 Shelleys, but he also mentions whelks, which shells are 

 now borne by this family. 



The crest of the Carpenters of Somersetshire is a snail 

 passant proper, shell argent ; and that of the Galay 

 family, a snail, horns erect, proper. 



To Dress Snails. — Snails that feed on vines are con- 

 sidered the best. Put some water into a saucepan, and 

 when it begins to boil, throw in the snails, and let them 

 boil a quarter of an hour ; then take them out of their 

 shells ; wash them several times, taking great pains to 

 cleanse them thoroughly, place them in clean water, and 

 boil them again for a quarter of an hour; then take 

 them out, rinse them, dry them, and place them with a 

 little butter in a frying-pan, and fry them gently for a 

 few minutes, sufBcient to brown them ; then serve with 

 some piquante sauce.* 



Snails cooked in the French way.— CrsLck the shells 

 and throw them into boiling water, with a little salt and 

 herbs, sufficient to make the whole savoury ; in a quar- 

 ter of an hour take them out, pick the snails from the 

 shells, and boil them again; then put them into a sauce- 

 pan, with butter, parsley, a clove of garlic, pepper, 

 thyme, a bay- leaf, and a little flour; when sufficiently 



* An old French recipe. 



