SNAIL. 
591 
above with a palate and a callous jaw, to which is 
firmly fixed a tooth shaped like a crescent, and ter- 
minated by a number of sharp points like so many 
minute teeth : with these the animal chews its food, 
and makes great havoc among the leaves of our gar- 
den plants. A little tongue is seen in the lower 
part of the mouth provided with a hard substance 
at the extremity. 
Nature has supplied the want of feet in the snail 
by providing the animal with two large muscular 
skins on each side of the body, which can be con- 
tracted or extended at pleasure. The snail is 
likewise prevented from falling by a viscous humour 
with which the lower part of its body is covered, 
and which enables it to adhere very tenaciously in 
any situation. 
But the most singular circumstance in the natural 
history of these animals, and that which requires all 
our faith to believe, is the peculiar manner in which 
they carry on their courtship ; for, while the poets 
are content to wound their heroines with imaginary 
darts, the snails are said to use the real ones, and 
we are gravely told that when they are disposed to 
approach each other, they signify their mutual in- 
clination in a manner peculiar to themselves ; one 
lanches against the other a kind of little dart, which 
has four wings, or minute edges. This weapon 
flies from the animal who shot it, and either lodges 
in the other, or falls down by her after making a 
slight wound, upon which this creature in her turn 
dispatches another dart at the aggressor ; and thus 
