THE SNAIL. 
217 
sation, it is not wonderful to see it very voracious. It chiefly 
subsists upon the leaves of plants and trees; but is very deli- 
cate in its choice. At the approach of winter, ii buries itself 
in the earth, or retires to some hole to continue in a torpid 
state, during the severity of the season. It is sometimes seen 
alone ; but more frequently in company in its retreat ; several 
being usually found together apparently deprived of life and 
sensation. For the purposes of continuing in greater warmth 
and security, the snail forms a cover or lid to the mouth of 
its shell with its slime, which stops it up entirely, and thus 
protects it from every external danger. When the cover is 
formed too thick, the snail then breaks a little hole in it 
which corrects the effect of that closeness, which proceeded 
from too much caution. In this manner, sheltered in its hole 
from the weather, defended in its shell by a cover, it sleeps 
during the winter; and for six or seven months continues 
without food or motion, until the genial call of spring breaks 
its slumber, and-excites its activity. 
The snail, having slept for so long a season, awakes one 
of the first fine days of April ; breaks open its cell, and sal- 
lies forth to seek for nourishment. At first, it is not very 
difficult in the choice of its food ; almost any vegetable that 
is green seems welcome ; but the succulent plants of the 
garden are chiefly grateful ; and the various kinds of pulse 
are, at some seasons, almost wholly destroyed by their num- 
bers. A wet season is generally favourable to their produc- 
tion ; for this animal cannot bear very dry seasons, or dry 
places, as they cause too great a consumption of its slime, 
without plenty of which it cannot subsist in health and vigour. 
Such are the most striking particulars in the history of this 
animal ; and this may serve as a general picture, to which the 
jnanners and habitudes of the other tribes of this class may 
be compared and referred. These are, the sea snail, of which 
naturalists have, from the apparent difference of their shells, 
'nentioned fifteen kinds ;* the fresh water snail, of which 
'here are eight kinds; and the land-snail, of which there are 
bve: and these all bear a strong resemblance to the garden 
snail. All snails that live in WATER, are peculiarly 
furnished with a contrivance by Nature, for rising to the 
surface, or sinking to the bottom. The manner in which this 
's performed, is by opening and shutting an orifice on the 
"ght side of the neck, which is furnished with muscles for 
bat purpose. The snail sometimes gathers this aoerture into 
Voi,. II. 
* D’Argenville’s Conchylio'igie 
2 E 
