DeSoto times. (Hernando, Miss.) 1879-1898, 1890-04-10

| ALI. vi S"ho W Htlp MIN /
hndlng his way about the world, II
mas Tor Instance, a fairly well-deyelone
ear which lies close to the roots of hi
horns, and his sense of smell is omit
highly developed. No doubt it is h
thls sense that he guides himself f
those vegetables that are dear to hi
palate.
In spite Of the assertion of Moouie
landon, who stated that his researcbe
into the habits of snails had convince,
MN that they We're very intelligent, an,
OF the opinion of Oxen. who goes so ia
as to speak of 'circumspection and fore
sight as appearing to characterize tn,
thoughts of snails" we fear that +bi
creatures brain must be deemed as SLOW
as MS bodily movements. The organ i.
curlouSly situated, lying in a kind O
circle round the animals throat, and
thus seeming to point to the assump
tlon that the satisfying of his appetite
IS the utmost to which the snail's men.
tal powers carry him. His breathing
apparatus is of the very simplest de,
scrlptlon. While the snail, which we
imagine you have before you on a
piece of glass all this time is crawling
along, you should look carefully at his
right side. You will probably be good
zeal surprised to see that every now and
again distinct hole appears here, which
remains open for a few moments and
then closes again. This trap-door is
nothing more or less than the entrance
to our friends lungs. 1t does not COM
prise any elaborate mechanism such as
that with which those who have studied
human physiology in ever so cursory
manner are familiar, but is simply re-
cess in the animals body which is pro-
vided with mouth capable of being
opened and shut at the pleasure of its
owner. 1t is hard to conceive
a more rudimentary arrangement
for purposes of breathing. No ap-
paratus for the inhaling of pure air
and tho expulsion of that loaded with
carbolic acid is connected with it. 1t is
merely hole with which the creatures
veins are connected, and into which he
allows a certain quantity of air to enter,
as the need for it suggests itself to him.
When the air has, in this primitive
fashion, found its way into the interior
economy of our snail, he keeps it there
until the oxygen, with which it is
charged, has been exhausted by his vital
processes; the Observation-Disclosures resi-
due is allowed to escape by a reopening
of the mouth of the hole in his side, and
is replaced by more pure air, which flows
in through the gap. Practically speak
ing, the snail's breathing is accom-
plished in precisely the same manner as
a room is aired by the occasional open
ing of one of its windows. We may sup
pose number of human beings to be
in small room, in the
same manner as the snails veins are
collected about his breathing-hole. Al
Ter certain time they render foul the
air that the room contains, and to pro-
vide them with fresh supply, at the
same time allowing the vitiated stock to
escape, a window is opened, with the re-
'ult that the bad air escapes through it,
md is replaced by fresh air from out
ide. AS soon as the atmosphere of the
DOM is again in a satisfactory condition,
We may imagine the window to be closed
lntil it is deemed necessary to open it
nee more. The snails breathing is
managed in similar manner to this.
Nothing more clearly indicates the low
evelopment of the creature than this
method of keeping his
rame supplied with the oxygen which
, Indispensable to all living things.
The mouth of the snail is armed with
very formidable instrument, in the
hape of a remarkable saw-lke tongue.
robably you have, at some time or an
ther, noticed how cleanly cut are the
dyes of a leaf upon which snail has
cen regaling himself. 1t is difficult to
nagine how such soft and flabby-
,oking animal can have made such clean
lcisions; but with an examination of J.,
10 cutting instrument concealed in his
outl, wonder on this score vanishes.
resembles long, narrow ribbon, coil !
in such manner that only small ..
,rtion OF it is called into use at once. :,
hickly distributed over the entire sur
lmber of excessively sharplittle teeth, !
signed in manner which admirably
.apts them to the purpose for which
ey are intended. The quantity of :
ese teeth is incredible--one species, a
r instance, has been indisputably PROV y
to possess as many as thirty thousand =
them. The reason for their DISPOSE -
IN on coiled, ribbon-like surface lies :.
the fact by use they become worn q
ray. As this happens, the ribbon IS e.
cooled, and the teeth which before " -
re wrapped up in it, at the back of " -
q snail's mouth, come forward to take ~
q place of those which have served :,
cir turn. The upper part of the mouth "
insists of horny surface, against
.ich the sharp-toothed tongue works.
leaf which is to be operated upon is
lght between the two and subjected p'
a regular fle-like rasping on the part 81
the tongue. So effective an instru- a
mt does this form that the tough OF
ives of the lily may often be found to nj
entirely rasped off by it, nj
The snail energies from small egg u
ich was buried in the ground by his IL
ther. and from the very first shifts OF
himself, quite ignorant of parents tn