"Stephen Howard" wrote in message
...
: On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 14:02:44 +0000 (UTC), "margthompson"
: wrote:
:
: Just recently had a good Snail-hunt. Garden was host to many families of
: them. Took the trouble to pick them all off, took them all (about 35 of
: them - Mums and Dads-Kids, Aunties, Uncles, Cousins and Friends) out to
the
: back lane and suggested to them they might like to set up their community
: out there. Lo and behold there are lots more to evict. Or have snails
got
: a "homing instinct" ???? MT

I heard on GQT that when the 'parents' do not return they are not able to
secrete some sort of chemical over all the dormant youngsters in the 'nest'
and they wake up and replace them