178 



POPULAR CONCHOLOGY. 



long and close confinement ; some lived ten days, but a 

 want of proper food or the uncongenial climate then killed 

 them. Mr. Wollaston told Mr. Woodward that specimens 

 of two Madeira shells, H. papilio and iectiformis, survived 

 a fast and imprisonment in pill boxes of two years and a 

 half ; and that a large number of the small IL turricula, 

 brought to England at the same time, were all living after 

 being inclosed in a dry bag for a year and a half. There 

 are instances, also, of snails having been for some years 

 in a cabinet, and on the shells being put into warm water 

 to be washed, the animals made their appearance alive, or, 

 as the following curious circumstance will show, without 

 the incitement of the warm water, as related by Dr. Baird : 

 — " An individual of the Desert snail (H. desertorum) was 

 fixed to a tablet in the British Museum, on the 25th of 

 March, 1846, and on March 7th, 1850, it was observed 

 that he must have come out of his shell in the interval (as 

 the paper had been discoloured apparently in his attempt 

 to get away); but finding escape impossible, had again 

 retired, closing his aperture with the usual glistening film ; 

 this led to his immersion in tepid water and marvellous 

 recovery. He is now (March 13th, 1850) alive and 

 flourishing, and has sat for his portrait."* 



These Mollusca have the power of repairing their bodies 

 when injured as well as their shells : a horn, or even the 

 whole head, if cut off will be reproduced, the animal keep- 

 ing within its shell until the parts are replaced ; the head, 

 however, requires some months to be perfected. 



The H. pomatia is said by some authors to have been 

 introduced into this country from abroad, but others sup- 

 pose it to be indigenous. It is almost confined to chalky 

 and gravelly districts. The eggs of this species are glo- 



* AVoodward's Recent .and Fossil Shells. 



