282 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



included in the following quotations will carry others into greater 

 detail. 



Sixty years before Cuvier constituted the genus Testacella, 

 du Gue* called attention to one of the species afterwards 

 included in it, and to the fact that it lived on earthworms, 

 stating with regard to a specimen that he had : — " It has been 

 kept in a pot with some earthworms three or four inches long 

 and as thick as a pen ; it feeds on them, though much less strong 

 in appearance. It occupied four or five hours in swallowing one 

 entirely, but did not risk losing its prey during this long time. 

 When once it has seized it by one end it cannot afterwards 

 escape, no matter what efforts it may make." He adds that the 

 species only goes out at night. 



The Vicomte de Querhoentf wrote a letter describing a slug 

 which his gardener found one night after it had half- swallowed a 

 large worm. The slug was partly imbedded in the earth, and 

 the worm was pulled out with it. 



The action of Testacella is likened by Faure-Biguetl to that 

 of a serpent swallowing whole an animal larger than itself, though 

 this peculiar point is noticeable — namely, that the slug only 

 continues to swallow the worm as the part already taken in is 

 digested, the portion which remains outside continuing to show 

 signs of life as long as it is to be seen. 



When describing Testacella scutulum for the first time, G. B. 

 Sowerby§ expresses his surprise that "an animal so extremely 

 sluggish in its movements, after discovering its prey by means of its 

 tentacles, by thrusting from its large mouth its white crenellated 

 revolute tongue, should instantly seize upon and retain an earth- 

 worm of much greater size and apparent force than itself, which 

 by its utmost exertions is unable to escape." 



In 1840 an addition was made to the facts already set down, 



* "Lettre a Reaumur sur la Testacelle" Hist. Acad, Sci. Paris Obs. 

 Phys. Gen. art. I. p. 1 (1740). 



f Quoted by Valmont-Bomare, Diet. d'Hist. Nat., 4e ed. torn. 4, p. 579 

 (1791). This reference not checked. 



I " Sur une nouvelle espece de Testacelle,'" Bull. Sci. Soc. Philomat, 

 Paris, vol. hi. (an. x., 1802), p. 98. 



§ ' Genera of Recent and Fossil Shells,' letterpress to Plate 159 

 (1820—25). 



