194 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. [September 



interesting and valuable paper on " The Mica Traps of Guernsey," which had been 

 specially prepared and communicated to the society by the Rev. E. Hill, M.A., 

 F.G.S., of Cambridge. The paper gave rise to an interesting discussion ; and a 

 special vote of thanks to Mr. Hill for his kindness in preparing it, was passed unan- 

 imously. Several interesting specimens were exhibited, and a very pleasant evening 

 was passed. Some further conversation also took place with regard to the habits of 

 the cuckoo, Mr. Cooper having gathered together a number of interesting notes on 

 the subject showing the observations made and the opinions expressed by several 

 eminent naturalists, as to the habits of this curious although not uncommon bird. 



Mollusca. 



BY W. A. GAIN. 



MoLLuscAN Captives. — No part of the study of slug and snail 

 life appears to me so interesting as that of the animals in captivity, 

 in fact, many points can only be understood by adopting this method. 

 There was formerly great misunderstanding concerning the junior 

 forms of our slugs. If amusement only is sought, the slugs and snails 

 may be turned into one large snailery, of course avoiding over crowd- 

 ing, and this method will answer if only a few species are kept at the 

 same time. 



My plan is to keep each species, often each pair, separate, placing 

 them either in a box with a glass cover, or in a flower-pot having a 

 piece of perforated zinc weighted with a small stone on the top. In 

 either case I have three or four inches of earth and a bottle or two 

 sunk in it to contain water for keeping the food fresh. Many of the 

 British species of Helix and all the slugs, are easily kept for long 

 periods, Helix pomatia endures confinement well, breeds freely, and 

 the young thrive well ; when engaged with fresh crisp lettuce the 

 rasping sounds which they produce while eating may be heard several 

 feet away. I have in my cabinet the shell of a Helix nspevsa hatched 

 from an egg introduced into one of my boxes in 1882, died presumably 

 of old age, in 1887. Other species are difficult to keep long, H . virgata 

 and H. caiitiana die off, I have never succeeded in keeping even a 

 single one of these through the winter. 



My observations would have led me to expect some species to be 

 far more common than we find them, our, two species of Amalia are 

 exceedingly hardy, very voracious and almost omnivorous, yet they 



