. The Cambridge natural history. Zoology; Zoologia Geral. 54 HABITS OF CARNIVOROUS SNAILS AND SLUGS chap. islands of Georgia and around the keys and everglades of Florida, where it attains a maximum length of 4 inches, while in less humid situations it scarcely measures more than 1 inch. It occurs most abundantly in the centre of clumps and tussocks of coarse grass in marshes close to the sea-coast. By the action of the sharp, sickle-shaped teeth of its radula the soft parts of its prey (which consists chiefly of living Helices) are rapidly rasped away ; sometimes they are swallowed whole. It


. The Cambridge natural history. Zoology; Zoologia Geral. 54 HABITS OF CARNIVOROUS SNAILS AND SLUGS chap. islands of Georgia and around the keys and everglades of Florida, where it attains a maximum length of 4 inches, while in less humid situations it scarcely measures more than 1 inch. It occurs most abundantly in the centre of clumps and tussocks of coarse grass in marshes close to the sea-coast. By the action of the sharp, sickle-shaped teeth of its radula the soft parts of its prey (which consists chiefly of living Helices) are rapidly rasped away ; sometimes they are swallowed whole. It has been known to attack Limax when confined in the same box, rasping off large pieces of the integument. In one case an individual was noticed to devour one of its own species, thrusting its long neck into the interior of the shell, and removing all the Fig. 21. — Glandina sowerhyana Pfr. (Strebel). The Glandinae of southern Europe, although scarcely rival- ling those of Central America in size or beauty, possess similar carnivorous propensities. G-landina Poireti has been observed,^ on Veglia Island, attacking a living Cyclostoma elegans. By its powerful teeth it filed through two or three whorls of the shell of its victim, and then proceeded to devour it, exactly in the same manner as a Natica or Buccinum perforates the shell of a Tellina or Mactra in order to get at its contents. Few observations appear to have been made on the habits or food of Streptaxis, Rhytida^ Ennea^ Daudehardia^ Paryphanta^ and other carnivorous Mollusca. A specimen of Ennea sulcata^ enclosed in the same box as a Madagascar Helix (^sepulchralis F^r.) many times its own size, completely emptied the shell of its inhabitant.^ Mr. E. L. Layard informs me that certain Cape Mhytida, R. capsula Bens., R. dumeticola Bens., and R. vernicosa Kr., eat Cyclostoma affine., Helix capensis^ H. cotyle- donis^ etc. To Mr. Layard I am also indebted for the —perhaps apocryphal — tradition that the


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1895