OF NEW ENGLAND. 7 
the Northern and Western States, and is a fair type of the 
family. The body is quite soft, and spreads below into an 
oblong, flattened disk. This disk is called the “foot,” and 
forms their only locomotive organ. By means of nume- 
rous minute muscles distributed closely along this flatten- 
ed surface, they are enabled to creep along, at times with 
an almost imperceptible motion, gliding a over the 
roughest substances, ascending branches, and even bur- 
rowing in the ground. When we consider this sluggish, 
and too often despised snail, without legs, fins, or wings, 
and yet performing the important function of locomotion 
with as much certainty and ease as animals more highly 
endowed, we cannot but admire the versatility of the 
Great Creative mind in the various complete provisions 
made for the locomotion of all these humbler animals. 
During progression, the disk, or surface upon which they 
crawl, secretes a slimy, or viscid substance, which greatly 
facilitates their exertions, and they can often be traced to 
their hiding places, by following the silvery trail, which 
all snails leave behind, in their peregrinations. The Eng- 
lish gardener, annoyed as he is by the depredations of cer- 
tain species of snails, which nip the tender buds, and 
even devour the leaves of his plants, frustrates their 
destructive raids by encircling the plants with an earth 
work of dry sand; or better still, ashes. The snail, in 
attempting to pass this barrier, becomes completely en- 
tangled with the particles of sand adhering to its slimy 
body. Now, any irritation of this nature causes the snail 
to pour out this slime, or mucus, from all parts of the 
body, as can be easily proved by irritating the snail with 
the point of a stick, when shortly a ball of mucus will be 
formed on the stick, and the point finally rendered smooth. 
This provision to guard against such conditions, fairly ex- 
