“WALL-FISH.”
The term “wall-fish” will be unknown to many of our readers. It is
applied by dealers in Covent Garden and other markets to the common
garden snail (_Helix aspersa_). This mollusc is held in especial esteem
by the poor in Bristol, and in consequence is now very scarce in the
environs of that city. There are men who make a livelihood during the
winter by collecting these snails from their hybernating places. In
November, 1896, the writer met a “wall-fish” collector in a remote
village in Somerset, and had an interesting conversation with him. He
was collecting for a Bristol dealer, his home being in Kent, where he
worked as a carpenter in summer and autumn. For many winters past he
had regularly visited Somerset to collect snails. According to his
experience these snails seldom hybernate in banks facing east or north,
but usually seek winter quarters in those facing south-west.
They generally congregate in some numbers, and appear to have a
predilection for certain spots. From an hybernaculum near the village
he had that morning taken a gallon and a half of them, but this was
very unusual; his “takings” as a rule did not exceed a gallon per day.
Ash stumps, or crannies at the base of ash-trees, are very favourite
haunts. They seldom hybernate under oaks, and although old walls are
favourite places in summer, whence they probably owe their name of
“wall-fish,” they seldom hybernate in them.
Our “wall fisherman” carried an iron rod about 2 feet long, slightly
crooked at one end for probing likely nooks and corners. _H. aspersa_
is quite the most nearly domesticated of the snail tribe. It loves the
haunts of man, and is seldom found in any numbers in places remote from
villages and roadsides.
A conchologist should never miss an opportunity of examining the bag of
a wall-fish collector. Occasionally rare varieties--_scalariforme_ for
instance--may be secured in this way. I asked my friend to allow me to
inspect his “catch,” and he very obligingly turned out the contents of
his creel. I found nothing better than three or four examples of the
variety _exalbida_, which is greenish-white. It is, however, widely
distributed in the southern counties. It is stated by Forbes and Hanley
(“Hist. Brit. Moll.,” vol. iv., p. 46), that “owing to its being an
article of food in some countries, or else a supposed remedy for
pulmonary affections, _H. aspersa_ has been transported and distributed
by the agency of man to all parts of the world. It is especially
abundant in the neighbourhood of gardens.” In 1840, according to
Turton, _H. aspersa_ was sold in Covent Garden and elsewhere as a cure
for diseases of the chest, and was sent to the United States as a
delicacy. “The glassmen at Newcastle once a year have a snail feast;
they generally collect the snails themselves in the fields and hedges
the Sunday before the feast day.” This feast is, we believe, now given
up.
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DORMANT LIFE.--The conditions under which vital activity may become
dormant obtained a curious illustration in the instance of a beetle
which was taken alive out of the wood of a desk which had been in the
office of the London Guildhall for twenty years. The wood was deal from
the Baltic, the beetle was the _Buprestis splendens_. It was alive and
in beautiful colour. The observation was confirmed by Sir Joseph Banks.
The description is given by Mr. Thos. Wrenham in the tenth volume of
_Transactions of Linnæan Society_, 1810.
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DODDER AND IVY.--Ivy is a climber only, Dodder is a true parasite.
Ivy does not in any degree derive nourishment from the trees on which
it grows. It is obvious that it cannot get any from walls. It may be
plausibly disputed whether it does any injury to the trees to which it
clings, for it is often seen on very large ones. It is reputed to be
wholesome for sheep and deer in spite of its rank odour, and pheasants
are fond of its seed.
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