.394 
THE OCEAN WORLD. 
Without being a type of intelligence, the snail is by no me^ b 
imbecile ; it knows very well how to choose a tree the fruit of whi^ 
is agreeable to it. A fine cluster of grapes, a succulent pear, which 
horticulturist devours with his looks, and hopes to devour other^ 6, 
is sure to he the identical fruit which will be chosen by our enlighten 
depredator, so that it is possessed of judgment, comparison, and in^ 
ligent appreciation. 
The body of the snail is oval, elongated, convex above, fiat bel°"‘ 
The convex or upper surface of the body is rugged, in consequent 
of the existence of numerous tubercles projecting slightly, and sep 9 
rated by irregular furrows ; its anterior is terminated by an oW ll3t> 
head, its posterior more fiat and less pointed. All the flat porti 011 ’ 
thick, soft, and upon which the animal moves itself by a creeps 1 ." 
motion, bears the name of the foot. The head is not really ver j 
distinct, especially in the upper part, but the organs with which 1 
is provided are prominent. These organs are in reality tentad®®> 
although they are more popularly known as horns, especially ar0 ° J ^ 
children — those charming ignoramuses — who have been taught 
repeat the well-known stanza — 
“Snail, snail, come out of your hole. 
Or else I'll beat you black as a coal ’ 
af 0 
which finds its counterpart in all European languages. There 
two pair of these tentacles or horns; one pair quite in front aIU 
above, and another smaller and less forward. The first are dist^j 
guished by their size, and also by a black spot or point at th el1 
in 
:th er 
id 0 ' 
extremity, which is sometimes erroneously said to be the eye of the sn» 
These tentacles differ in many respects from the same org aDS ’ 
other molluscs ; they are retractile, and can be drawn altog e 
within the animal into a sort of sheath, by the contraction of a nm* 
At the anterior extremity of the head we find a sort of plaited opeu^’ 
which is the mouth ; it is of moderate extent, closed in front by ** 
lips, and armed with two shear-like organs of horny consistence, 0 ^ 
of them being a sort of rasp, which occupies the plate of the bn 00 
cavity, and may be (sailed a tongue ; the other is a median J a j 
placed transversely in the membranous walls of the palate, termini 10 ® 
in a free edge, armed with small teeth. This cutting blade, hoW 0Y ® J J 
executes no movement : but the lingual organ, pressing all alim 011 
matter forcibly against its lower edge, effects their mastication, 
an 
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