161.DO SNAILS LAY EGGS?
Snails are mollusks, which means a kind of animal without backbones. There are two basic kinds of snails: the first includes the snails which have shells; the second, those which are covered merely by a thin mantle. Members of this second group are usually called “slugs.”
All the members of this division of mollusks have one large foot on the underside. Therefore, they are called “gastropods,” or stomach feet. This division also includes the large whelks of the ocean and the periwinkles. The ocean snail measures about 25 millimeters in the shell.
160.CAN OYSTERS LIVE OUT OF WATER?
When we look at an opened oyster lying in its shell, it’s hard to believe that this is a creature capable of performing many complicated functions. Let’s examine the oyster and see how it manages to get along in life.
There are more than 100 species of living oysters, and their shape, size, and shell vary with their environment. The body of the American oyster rests on the left, cuplike side of the shell; the right, or upper side, is usually flat. The narrow part of the shell is the front end of the oyster; the broad and rounded part is the back.
159.WHY DOES THE PEACOCK RAISE HIS FEATHERS?
One of the most spectacular sights presented by any bird is that of the peacock displaying his feathers. As you might imagine, such a sight has always impressed people. In fact, in ancient times, both the Greeks and the Romans considered the peacock to be a sacred bird. But this didn’t prevent the Romans from serving peacocks for dinner!
