Linda Sadler, age 11, of Charleston, W.Va., for her question:

How fast does a snail travel?

Mr. Snail has but one foot on which to walk ‑ so we cannot blame him for being a slow‑poke. The foot is a strong muscle which reaches along most of his underside. You may place a snail on a sheet of glass and watch this wonderful foot work from underneath. Be sure to lift him gently, for his shell may be fragle.

You can tempt a snail to walk towards a, bit of moldy leaf, which is his favorite food. It is possible to clock old Slow‑Poke with a stop watch. At full spend ho can cover two inches in one minute. At this rate, without stopping to cat or rest, he could cover one mile in 22 days! or 17 miles in a year.

But this is top spend. You do not dash around at your top speed all the time, and neither docs Old Slow‑Poke. When searching for food, one inch in a minute is an average, comfortable speed for a snail.