What are little boys made of: lyrics

The lyrics!
The origins and history of this nursery rhyme date back to the early nineteenth century - the battle of the sexes was raging even then! The lyrics obviously reflect this, but what is the meaning of 'snips and snails'? Many meanings have been suggested but the one that has the most credibility is that the original words were in fact 'snips of snails' snips meaning 'little bits of' No redemption there for describing what little boys are made of' !