r A LITTLE HOUSE BUILDER 157 
carry itself forward literally by stamping its foot, 
a method which seldom avails in the human 
world. It is not a swift traveler; indeed ‘ a 
snail’s pace ’ is proverbially known as the very 
slowest of movement. But by keeping steadily 
on, the little creatures make progress eventually; 
some snails even manage to climb trees. Their 
sense of touch is most acute, and here is the 
strange part, the snail feels with its eyes! These 
eyes, as we have said, are in the horns, and when 
a snail draws in its horns it really shuts its eyes. 
It has a keen sense of smell, but it has no nose. 
Scientists believe that the skin somehow serves as 
an organ not only of smell but of taste as well. 
The snails breathe from a lung sac. Most pond 
snails are obliged to come to the top of the water 
every few minutes for air. A few of them, how¬ 
ever, breathe as the sea snails do, by means of 
gills. 
“ The snail is strictly a vegetarian. In early 
spring its food is tender green plants; later dead 
and dry leaves are made to serve. Its tongue is 
a sort of ribbon covered with little points that ac¬ 
complish the purpose of teeth. When it eats, the 
food is pressed against the teeth and rasped off 
very cleverly and neatly. The snail never needs 
to go to the dentist; its teeth are renewed from 
the membrane at the core as rapidly as they wear 
away. 
