182 



POPULAR CONCHOLOGY. 



plains on the west side of the Andes, from the dense woods 

 of South America, and from the luxuriant open forests of 

 the Philippines. The genus is most exquisitely illustrated 

 in Mr. Reeve's a Conchologia Iconica." 



The eggs of the B. hcemastoma are large, even some- 

 times reaching the size of a pigeon's egg, 

 and are represented in the annexed figure. 

 Edwards in his voyage up the river Ama- 

 zon says, " Frequently we found the eggs 

 of the B. hcemastoma ; they were nearly 

 an inch long, white, and within was gene- 



,, »i , 1 , -i Egg of B. hcemastoma. 



rally the fully formed snail-shell, and 



animal awaiting its egress." This mollusc often cements 



leaves together to protect the eggs from view. 



A living specimen of the Bulimus ovalis was once brought 

 from Bio Janeiro, and placed in a hothouse at Cliiswick ; 

 it lived for more than a year, and fed principally on let- 

 tuces and cabbages, the former of which appeared to be 

 its favourite food. It would sometimes, after devouring 

 part of a large lettuce, remain for some days without 

 touching food or moving from the spot. During the day 

 it was usually in a dormant state, and remained in the 

 shade ; but towards evening, when the house became damp 

 and warm, it would move about. 



Some specimens that were brought from Chili to this 

 country, continued in a state of torpidity for seventeen 

 or eighteen months, and one even more than two years, 

 and then revived. They were sent to Messrs. Loddiges' 

 gardens, at Hackney, where they lived for eight months 

 in a hot-house fitted for palm-trees : they had constructed 

 a parchment-like epiphragma, which they were observed 

 partly to eat when they revived. They had been packed 

 in cotton, in a box, from the period of their capture. 

 Some large specimens, brought from Valparaiso by Lieut. 



