“In other words,” said I, “they must be enclosed by water to save the maintenance of a slave catcher.”

“A place which is not baked by the sun and on which the dew remains is preferable,” continued Merula.  “If the place you use for your snails is not supplied with dew naturally, as often is the case in sunny situations, and there is no available shady recess, such as is found under rocks or hills whose feet are laved by a lake or a stream, then you must supply dew artificially.  This may be done by leading into the snailery a pipe on the end of which is fixed a rose nozzle, through which water is forced against a rock so that it scatters in spray.  The problem of feeding snails is small, for they supply themselves without help, finding what they require as they creep over the level ground and also while clinging to the sides of a wall, if no running water prevents their access to it.  On the hucksters’ stands they keep alive a long time, as it were chewing their own cud, all that is done for them being to supply a few laurel leaves and scatter a little bran over them:  so a cook never knows whether he is cooking them alive or dead.

“There are many kinds of snails, such as the small white ones, which come from Reate:  the large variety which are imported from Illyricum, and the medium size which come from Africa:  but they vary in size in certain localities of each of those countries.  Thus, there is found in Africa a variety which are called solitannae of so great size that their shells will hold ten quarts:[196] and so in the other countries I have named they are found together of all sizes.  They produce an innumerable progeny, which at first are very small and soft but develop their hard shell with time.  If you have large islands in the enclosure you may expect a rich haul from your snails.

“Snails are fattened by placing them in a jar smeared with boiled must and corn meal, on which they feed, and pierced with holes to admit the air, but they are naturally hardy.”

Of dormice

XV.  “Dormice[197] are preserved on a different systern than snails, for while the one is confined by barriers of water, the other is kept in by a wall which must be coated on the inside with smooth stone or stucco to prevent their escape.  Young nut trees should be planted in the enclosure, and when these are not bearing, mast and chestnuts should be thrown in to the dormice, for that is what makes them fat.  Roomy cages should be provided for them in which to rear their young.[198] Little water is necessary, for dormice do not require much water, but on the contrary affect dry places.  They are fattened in jars which are usually kept indoors.  The potters make these jars in different shapes, but with paths for the dormice to use contrived on the sides and a hollow to hold their food, which consists of mast, walnuts and chestnuts.[199] Covers are placed on the jars and there in the dark the dormice are fattened.”