172 
ANIMAL CURIOSITIES 
sharp projections acting as a rasp and breaking 
the food up into small particles. As the teeth 
become worn by constant use, they are replaced 
by others which are continually forming at the 
basal end of the tongue-ribbon, and pushing 
their way forward. 
The teeth of whelks, although fewer in number 
than in the land snails, are larger and more 
powerful; being especially adapted for boring 
holes through the shells of mussels and oysters, 
thereby enabling them to reach and feed upon 
the soft parts of their victims. 
That snails are endowed with a considerable 
degree of strength has been proved by experi¬ 
ments carried out especially with a view to test 
their muscular power. On one occasion two 
garden-snails were “ harnessed ” by narrow 
pieces of tape to a toy gun-carriage made of 
lead, and not only did the novel steeds succeed 
in pulling along their burden with ease, but 
they also made equal progress when the gun- 
carriage was filled with shot. To try their 
powers even further, a small brass cannon was 
then attached to the gun-carriage, and although 
the combined weight of the load amounted to 
fifteen ounces, the snails continued on their 
course without difficulty. 
This achievement, however, was surpassed 
by the efforts of another pair of snails which 
