HELICIDiE.^ — SNAIL. 
23 
Gwillim, in his ^ Heraldry/ informs us that the snail 
is called Tardigrada domiporta, the slow-going house- 
bearer/^ and adds^ the bearing of the snail doth sig- 
nify, that much deliberation must be used in matters of 
great difficulty and importance ; for, although the snail 
goeth most slowly, yet, in time she ascendeth to the top 
of the highest tower, as Mr. Carew, of Antony, hath 
wittily moralized in his poem, intituled ^ The Herring^s 
Tail/^^ He gives snails as the armorial bearings of the 
Shelleys, but he also mentions whelks, which shells are 
now borne by this family. 
The crest of the Carpenters of Somersetshire is a snail 
passant proper, shell argent; and that of the Galay 
family, a snail, horns erect, proper. 
To Dress Snails .- — Snails that feed on vines are con- 
sidered the best. Put some water into a saucepan, and 
when it begins to boil, throw in the snails, and let them 
boil a quarter of an hour ; then take them out of their 
shells ; wash them several times, taking great pains to 
cleanse them thoroughly, place them in clean water, and 
boil them again for a quarter of an hour; then take 
them out, rinse them, dry them, and place them with a 
little butter in a frying-pan, and fry them gently for a 
few minutes, sufficient to brown them ; then serve with 
some piquante sauce.* 
Snails cooked in the French way . — Crack the shells 
and throw them into boiling water, with a little salt and 
herbs, sufficient to make the whole savoury ; in a quar- 
ter of an hour take them out, pick the snails from the 
shells, and boil them again ; then put them into a sauce- 
pan, with butter, parsley, a clove of garlic, pepper, 
thyme, a bay- leaf, and a little flour; when sufficiently 
* An old French recipe. 
