The Washington herald., 1906-12-02
SNAILS CHICAGO WOMAN'S FAD
Her Pets Kept in a Miniature Con-.
servatory at Her Home.
If You Haven't Eeaten a Small Stew,
You Have Treat COmIng-MOI-
Iusks Are Commended.

It has remained for Chicago woman
/ to establish the first snaTlery in the
United States. The experimentalist in
snail culture is Mrs. L. Shepard Her
collection probably Is the most complete
OF its kind in the New World. The gems
are two mammoth South African speci-
mems with spiral chambers almost as
large as conch shells, says the Chicago
Post.
These two giant snails, which, by the
way, are named Elizabeth and Henry.
promise to bring I'D an interesting family.
Hidden away beneath successive layers Of
damp leaves are several eggs as large as
moth balls. The little prisoners will be
released probably next May, unless the
tropic climate of the hothOuse brings
/ them out before that time.
Mrs. Shepard has constructed a minia-
ture conservatory for her pets, and shs
! has adapted the temperature 10 their nat
/ ural environment.
so long as you keep them warm and
/ damp" she said yesterday. they will get
along beautiful. But let the frost get
/ in and they will hide themselves within
I
the dead. Just for an experiment. I put
one snail on ice. Within a few minutes IL
/ had drawn a membrane over the mouth
OF its shell as tight as a drumhead. It
/ slept for several months without eating
/ or breathing, but when ] took IT out and
warmed it NJ in a moist room Ii came
to life and frisked around as gay as a
( kitten
You can do the same thing with the
| eggs. Snails' eggs are almost indestruc-
/ tible. Recently, by applying moisture,
/ Matched out one that had been laid ten
years ago. and so far Mr. Snail has shown
no III effects as the result of his unjust
| Imprisonment Think Of his having walt
ed all that time to be born He certainly
ought 10 enjoy life. now that he has it.
/ Although endowed with lungs. and
/ eyes at the ends Of their tentacles. snails
are not especially sensitive. Some OF
them take on expressions almost of de-
/ light when being eaten alive by birds or
wOodchucks About the only thing they
do not like is salt"
Mrs. Shepard feeds her snails daily on
| lettuce leaves, cabbage, strawberries, and
mushrooms
1 have only three carnivorouS Snails in
my collection she declared. Most OF
them are strictly vegetarian
Whenever / show my family of snaiIs
! to visitors they shUdder and remark:
The hoT=:d things. Now, what is there
TO be afraid Of in a snail? These mol
| lusks are of ancient lineage, perfectly re-
spectacle, and well-behayed. Their an
eestors were crawling on the world when
1t was covered with fern forests and the
heavy frOnds waved over paleOzoio
marshes.
Among the Remains, snails were re-
garded as a table delicacy. The French
and Italians also delight in them. I have
been trying 10 make them popular I'm Chi
cago, but I sAn having my troubles. To
make snail stew, you boil them in milk.
and add plenty OF pepper and spices. II
you never have eaten a snail stew, you
have treat still coming to you"
Whiles she has not yet begun to breed
snails for the market, Mrs. Shepard IS
willing TO make the experiment, II she
can secure enough patrons to guarantee
the success of the venture Mrs. Shep-
ard also has prepared a medicine she
calls sirup of snails. which she claims IS
infallible in cases Of lung disease.
Il shall have to call it by some other
name she said, because the public
never would swallow this extract OF
snails''