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AMERICAN NATURALIST. 
Vol. II. FEBRUARY, 1869.—No. 12. 
KrEGORIOIOS 
ABOUT SHELLS. 
BY CHARLES WRIGHT. 

_ In the course of my herborizations in Cuba, I have had 
frequent occasion to climb trees for flowers which I could 
hot otherwise obtain, and much more frequent occasion to 
clamber about the limestone cliffs which furnish a great 
variety of plants, many of which are common in such locali- 
ties, and are found nowhere else. In these circumstances, 
it was hardly possible that my attention should not be drawn 
to the shells, some inhabiting trees, and many more the 
rocks, I came, in truth, to be very fond of them, spending 
Many hours entirely devoted to shell hunting, which, I begin 
_ to think, I could have spent more profitably in my legitimate 
Calling. I propose to relate some of my observations, and 
to give my views as to the causes of some of the phenomena | 
observed, hoping that they who make this branch of the 
animal kingdom a special study, may be prompted to inves- 
tigate these phenomena more minutely than I had time or — 
ability to do. 
Shells have a season of hibernation in hot climates as 
well as in cold; but, in the former, the cause of their inac- 
tivity is dryness; in the latter, low temperature. If the 



drought be protracted, the greater patt seek a retreat where 
(icicle a 

go Entered according to in the year 1868, by the PEABODY ACADEMY OF 
Scrence, in the Clerk's Oee of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts, 
NATURALIST, VOL. İt. 78 (617) 
. 
