SNAIL, Helix, a genus of gasteropodous mollusks of the family helidda, having gen erally a sub-globose, sometimes a depressed, spiral shell; the mouth of the shell more or less encroached upon by the last whorl but one, strengthened with an internal thickened rib, its edges more or less reflexed; the font of the animal long, and pointed behind; the ' tentacles four, the lower pair much smaller than the upper; the tongue armed with from 100 to 200—longitudinal rows of teeth. The species are very numer ous, more than 1400 having been described; besides fossil species, of which also there are many. Some of the groups have been constituted into separate genera by recent authors, but all retain the popular name snail, which is indeed often extended to all the ke/icida. As an instance of the general distribution of snails, it may be noticed that helix asperse, one of the common garden-snails of Britain, is found very gencially throughout Europe, great part of Asia and the n. of Africa, and in South America.— Snails feed chiefly on vegetable substances, although they are very indiscriminate in their appetite, and even devour the dcad,of their own kind. The mischief which they do to garden-crops is too well known; and gardeners lay down cabbage-leaves and the like to attract them, in order that they may be destroyed; any greasy substance increas. ing the attractiveness of the bait.—Snails delight in warm moist weather; in dry weafite their chief time of activity is during the night, and they hide themselves by day; but after rain they come forth at any hour in quest of food. At the approach of winter, or in very dry weather, they close the mouth of the shell with a membrane (epiphragin), formed by the drying of the mucous substance which they secrete, and become inactive and torpid. Some, as the edible snail (II pamatia), make a succession of such mem braves; the outer one of which is also strengthened by a quantity of calcareous matter, the secretion being at first a white viscid fluid, but quickly hardening like plaster of Paris. When this is to' be removed, a fresh secretion of fluid mucus softens it at the edges. Snails retreat into crevices for the winter, or into holes which they make in the earth, and which are roofed over with earth, dead leaves, etc., agglutinated by secreted mucus.—Snails are hermaphrodite, but mutual impregnation takes place, and when they are about to copulate they excite each other by pricking or even piercing with a sharp, ealcareous, glass-like style, affixed to a peculiar muscular sac which serves for its pro trusion, and which is produced by recent secretion, not being found in them on dissec tion, except at the season of reproduction. Extraordinary as this circumstance is, it
has been the subject of much exaggeration, and in works on natural history not of very old date we read of s'bails throwing darts (spicula anion's) at each other, all which appears to be merely fabnlous, although it is probable that the calcareous style may he often broken off in its use. The eggs of snails arc round, and enveloped in a skin; they arc generally deposited in little clusters. The eggs of the commin garden-snails of Britain are about the size of peas, and are deposited just under the surface of the soil.— Snails possess in a very high degree the power of repairing injuries, not only of the shell—although the removal of the whole shell is fatal to them—but also of the soft parrs. When the tentacles are cut off, they grow again; and even if the bead is cut off, a new head is produeed.—We do not think it necessary to describe any of the common British species, as there is nothing of peculiar interest connected with any of them; and the rarer and smaller species have still less claim to notice. The EDIBLE SNAIL, (IL paints tia) of the s. of Europe is the only one that deserves to be particularly mentioned. It is found in the chalk and oolite districts of the s. of England, where it is said to have been introduced from the continent in the 17th c.; but this is very doubtful. It has a shell about 2 in. in diameter and 2 in. in height, whitish or pale tawny, with four darker bands. often not very distinct. It was much esteemed as an article of food by the ancient Romans, who fattened their snails in inclosures (cochlearnr) made for the pur pose, feeding them delicately on meal and boiled wine. It is still in much esteem for the table in various parts of turope, and is occasionally used in England. Nor is it the only species so used; the common garden-snails are probably equally good, although not so large, and "the glassmen at Newcastle once a year have a snail-feast; they gen erally collect the snails themselves in the fields and hedges the Sunday before the least day."—Turt on's British Land and Fresh-water Shells. Snails of different species are also an article of exportation on a small scale from England to the United States, packed in old casks, in which they are conveyed very well, fixing themselves one upon another to the cask. and leaving a vacant space in the center. Snails boiled in milk are popularly regarded as a remedy for diseases of the chest, and for this purpose they are brought to Covent Garden market. If any benefit results from the use of them, it is probably due to their nutritious qualities.—Some of the tropical species of helix are very large, and some have very beautiful shells.