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Show SNAIL'S TRIP ON RAZOR EDGE Beltntlit Makes Interesting Discovery While Studying Molluak'e Method of Locomc'.lon. "When photographing the snail," writes Professor Ward In the Strand, "1 was surprised at the fact that even the rough cut edge of a sheet of glass presented no difficult lea to Iti locomotion; loco-motion; lit even pBce was continued In spite of the fact that the sharp corner cor-ner appeared to be peuetratlng It body. There, too, we have exhibited the animal's delicate sense of touch, and this led me to make a further experiment. ex-periment. "After I had placed the snail on the butt of a razor'e blade It slowly moved along the back of the blade and then climbed completely over the sharp nine, the razor being In excellent con-dltion. con-dltion. As the successive wave brought the fore part of Its foot near the edge of tho blade Its head waa held low down, and the lower and shorter pair of feelers nearly touched the blade, as If feeling the way. "At the moment when the sharp pdg was. reached the small feeleta were fully extended toward it, and lust at the very Instant when 1 expected ex-pected to see them cut off thejr were Joth Instantly retracted. They were lttle more than a hair breadth away, ind though the lower feelers posseaa " eyes, yet by their sudden move-nent move-nent I was quite convinced that the nail at that Instant recognized dan-;er. dan-;er. "Still the foot trait-led on, and lowly (he nnall drugged Its whole 'eight of exactly one and a half uiices over the edge, later moving to-ard to-ard the butt and remaining perfectly unarmed. The species experimented 'Ith waa the Roman or edible kind, hlch accounts for Its comparatively irge weight. It being the largest of rltlKh snails." |
