English Edible Snails 



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A conchologist should never miss an opportunity of 

 examining the bag of a wall-fish collector. Occasionally rare 

 varieties — scalar if orme for instance— may be secured in this 

 way. I asked my friend to allow me to inspect his " catch," 

 and he very obligingly turned out the contents of his creel. 

 I found nothing better than three or four examples of the 

 variety exalbida, which is greenish -white. It is, however, 

 widely distributed in the southern counties. It is stated 

 by Forbes and Hanley (" Hist. Brit. Moll.," vol. iv., p. 46), 

 that "owing to its being an article of food in some countries, 

 or else a supposed remedy for pulmonary affections, H. aspersa 

 has been transported and distributed by the agency of man to 

 all parts of the world. It is especially abundant in the neigh- 

 bourhood of gardens." In 1840, according to Turton, H. 

 aspersa was sold in Covent Garden and elsewhere as a cure 

 for diseases of the chest, and was sent to the United States 

 as a delicacy. " The glassmen at Newcastle once a year 

 have a snail feast ; they generally collect the snails them- 

 selves in the fields and hedges the Sunday before the feast 

 day." This feast is, we believe, now given up. 



Dormant Life. — The conditions under which vital activity may 

 become dormant obtained a curious illustration in the instance of a 

 beetle which was taken alive out of the wood of a desk which had 

 been in the office of the London Guildhall for twenty years. The 

 wood was deal from the Baltic, the beetle was the Buprestis splende?is. 

 It was alive and in beautiful colour. The observation was confirmed 

 by Sir Joseph Banks. The description is given by Mr. Thos. 

 Wrenham in the tenth volume of Transactions of Linncean Society, 

 1 8 10. 



Dodder AND Ivy. — Ivy is a climber only, Dodder is a true parasite. 

 Ivy does not in any degree derive nourishment from the trees on which 

 it grows. It is obvious that it cannot get any from walls. It may 

 be plausibly disputed whether it does any injury to the trees to which 

 it clings, for it is often seen on very large ones. It is reputed to be 

 wholesome for sheep and deer in spite of its rank odour, and pheasants 

 are fond of its seed. 



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