The HESTOR ¥ of ON See Ts, 
of which, chiefly, the creature moves : they con- 
fift of very ftrong mutfcles, for which reafon I 
call them the Snail’s feet, as refembling in fome 
meafure the feet of Bats and Ducks; whofe 
claws are connected’to each other by a mem- 
brane. This fort is covered underneath with 
a thin skin, and the upper part is bent, with 
a number of glandulous {pots or warts of dif- 
ferent forms, amoneft which there run a great 
many veflels;. but I thall hereafter fpeak more 
at large of thefe particulars. 
Fig. u. If after having taken the foregoing 
furvey, we entirely ftrip off its fhell, or rather 
ftony bone c, from the tender part of its body, 
we fhall find the flefhy part which heretofore lay 
hid, is exactly of the fame fpiral form and 
fhape, fig. 1. 2, with the thell that covered 
it, but then it is perfectly tender, without the 
leaft fenfible hardnefs. 
Here all the inteftines, in a manner, appear 
through the extremely thin and tranfparent 
membranes of the body, which are all over 
fpread thick with veffels: for the hard furface 
being once removed, the leaft puncture made 
in the skin that remains, is followed by the 
effufion of the Snail’s blood, like a mucous hu- 
mour, of a pale purple colour. This can only 
happen from the body’s being all over pervaded 
by a great number of veins and arteries, fo that 
on dexteroufly clipping the. fmalleft portion of 
its foot or border, you may perceive little 
ftreams of blood iffuing from the wound. 
To remove the fhell or bone of the Snail, 
it is beft to ufe a pair of flat pincers, by means 
of which the fhell or bone may be gradually 
broken and torn away, till we come to the part 
where the mufcles of the body are inferted 
into it. Tab. VI. fig. 11. @. The tendons of 
thefe mufcles muft afterwards be feparated by 
a flat fpatula; we muft then proceed as we 
begun, by gradually breaking and tearing away 
the remains.of the fhell, till there are but one 
or two twilts left; out of which the little tail 
in which the body terminates may be then 
drawn without any difficulty. 
All the four horns, Tab. IV. fig. 1. aa, bb, 
agree with the upper part of the skin of the 
body, in being adorned with little glandulous un- 
equal grains, fig. v. eee, like fo many warts ; 
but.thofe on the horns appear the fmalleft and 
moft exquifitely divided. The horns them- 
felves, when viewed through a microfcope, 
look as if they confifted of a greenifh tranf 
parent fubftance, like veal gelly, through which 
appear fome whitifh fpots ; thefe I take to be 
the glands made ufe of by the creature for the {e- 
cretion of its flimy or mucous humour. This 
flimy matter ferves to moiften conftantly not 
only the whole body, but the horns; and in 
my opinion, the conftant moiftening of the 
latter is extremely neceflary, confidering how 
often and how fwiftly the Snail is obliged to 
ftretch them out and pull them back again; an 
* Perrault, after many obfervations, expreffed his doubts, 
placed his opinion of their having any among vulgar errors: b 
minations ; and very lately, Dr. Peterfield has fhewn, 
Edinburgh effays. 
a5 
exercife which, without fuch a contrivance 
to keep them flippery, could never be per- 
formed, — ; 
Though all four horns are very remarkable, 
the two uppermotft and longeft deferve our par- 
ticular confideration, both on account of the 
power of motion given them by the fupreme 
architect, which is very fingular, and exceeds all 
human art ; but more efpecially becaufe they 
have evident eyes, appearing like two blackifh 
points, in their extreme ends: they at times 
ftretch thefe eyes in a manner not to be de- 
fcribed, yet by a regular motion, out of the 
body; and fometimes they hide them by a very 
{wift contraction in the cavity of the abdomen. 
I know, indeed, that many who have laboured 
to inveftigate the nature of thefe little creatures 
from {peculation only, have given the name 
of eyes to thefe blackith {pots vifible in the 
tips of the horns; but their own fancy has 
afterwards made thofe very perfons change their 
opinion, when they faw that the Snail ftruck 
thofe horns almoft againft every objeét, and 
that they fhewed no figns of quicknefs of fight. 
But the knowledge of nature cannot be ac- 
quired by reafoning only, for unlefS we make 
experience go hand in hand with reafoning, we 
fhall err allour lives*. I hall therefore lay 
afide all conjecture, and defcribe thefe eyes and 
their membranes, humours, mufcles and nerves, 
as I have feen them, that the hidden, and for 
~ ever to be celebrated miracles of God may be 
made manifeft to all lovers of his works, who 
have not opportunity to fearch themfelves into 
thefe matters, 
Thofe who thirft moft after true knowledge, 
are with reafon afraid, left the poifon of falti- 
ties fhould be offered to them, inftead of the 
food they feek of true knowledge. 
To methodize and fet all thefe things in a 
clearer light, I have fubjoined the figures of all 
thefe parts immediately after their defcription. 
. The firft thing that deferves notice in the ex- 
amination of the upper horns, is their extre- 
mity, in which three particular little parts are 
obfervable. The firft of thefe little parts is 
placed in the middle, and is a very black {pot, 
Tab. IV. fig. 1. aa. This is the real- eye of 
the Snail, fig. v. @. The fecond is the optic 
nerve of this eye 6, which, by a certain produc- 
tion like a little globe, {wells and appears 
through the skin. The third, conftitutes the 
extreme end of the mufcle of the eyec, where- 
by the external skin, which is equally extended 
thereon, is firft bent in or drawn back, when 
the Snail endeavours to draw its eyes into its 
body. ‘This motion always begins about that 
part or divifion of the eye d, which lies in the 
middle between the mufcle and itsnerve. But 
as the apex or end of this mufcle is fomewhat 
more prominent than the eye or its mufcle, it 
therefore firft receives all injuries, whenever 
the creature happens to. ftrike its little horn 
whether Snails had really any eyes or not; and Dr. Brown has 
ut this author’s obfervations are confirmed by many fubfequent exa- 
they are to be feen very diftin@ly, His account is publifhed in the 
IN 
ag inft 
