10 
EDIBLE BRITISH MOLLUSKS. 
tlie partiality of thrushes for Helix nemoralis ; and owing 
to the scarcity of this species in South Derbyshire, I have 
twice brought a large basketful of live specimens from 
Staftbrd shire, and turned them out, hoping they would 
thrive and increase; but I have not only found the dead 
and broken shells, but constantly disturbed the feathered 
depredators themselves at their repast. Helix arbus- 
torum I have also tried, but with the same success; they 
fared no better than the other kind. 
There is a true saying that there is nothing on earth 
so small that it may not produce great things.^^* Thus, 
the sacred geese at Rome by their cackling awoke 
Marcus Manlius, and thereby saved the Capitol from 
the Gauls, who were attempting by night to surprise the 
garrison; and even such in significant' creatures as snails 
w'ere the cause of the following disaster to a Numidian 
king ; — castle on a lofty and steep rock, into which 
Jugurtha had carried all his treasures, had long been 
besieged in vain by Marius, when a Ligurian in the 
Roman army, climbing up the rocks in quest of snails, 
was led to continue his search for them, till he had nearly 
reached the summit, and thus found that the ascent was 
practicable ; and on reporting this fact to Marius, having 
been ordered to lead a chosen band up the same part of 
the rocks, he and his comrades so alarmed the garrison 
by their unexpected appearance that they gave up the 
castle to the besiegers. 
The Romans were very partial to snails as an article of 
food, and fed them till they grew to a large size. Several 
sorts are mentioned by Pliny, and they were all kept 
separate ; amongst others, white ones that were found in 
the neighbourhood of Rieti. He describes the Illyrian 
* Proverbial Philosophy. 
