170 
ANIMAL CURIOSITIES 
All snails originate from eggs which, in the 
majority of cases, are laid in the form of jelly-like 
globules by the female. Sometimes, however, 
the eggs are hatched before they see the light 
of day, the young being born in a fully developed 
state. 
The number of eggs laid by different species 
of snails is also very variable, the marine forms 
producing many more than the terrestrial 
ones. 
The well-known sea-snail or whelk deposits 
its eggs in a mass of capsules, of which there 
may be as many as six hundred, each one 
containing several hundred eggs. On the other 
hand, the giant snails (Achatina) lay only a few 
eggs during a season, but these are of enormous 
dimensions, almost equalling those of a thrush 
in size, and possessing a hard, brittle and whitish 
shell. It is of interest to note that the albu¬ 
minous or “ white ” matter in these eggs is 
frequently employed for the purpose of repairing 
broken glass or china. 
Although we all know the common garden- 
snail {Helix aspersa) by sight, yet in all proba¬ 
bility our acquaintance with it is only of a very 
casual nature, the creature usually being crushed 
underfoot at sight, or else, in the case of the 
more humane ones among us, being furtively 
lobbed over the garden fence to browse upon 
