Notes 393 



SOME FEEDING HABITS OF SLUGS. 



The connection of slugs and tapeworms has often been discussed. 

 Some slugs serve as intermediate hosts for certain bird Cestodes (Grassi 

 and Kovelli, 1892) and it has been suggested that they do the same 

 for the Anoplocephaline Cestodes of ruminants and rodents although 

 no convincing evidence has as yet been brought forward (Riehm 1881, 

 Stiles 1893). 



An examination into the habits and food of certain slugs made 

 in connection with a research upon lamb tapeworm disease has brought 

 out some interesting facts. The work was done at the Department 

 for Agricultural Research in the University of Birmingham during 

 the summer of 1914. 



By the kind permission of their owners, fields were examined on 

 which lambs infected with tapeworm were grazing (the worm commonly 

 found in the Midlands is Moniezia expansa, the broad tapeworm of 

 lambs). The fields were in the following localities: Bradley Green 

 and Shurnock near Feckenham, Worcestershire; Oaklands, Allesley 

 near Coventry; Wigmore Grange, Leintwardine, near Ludlow. The 

 golf course at King's Norton near Birmingham was also examined. 

 From the end of April until the end of June the ripe proglottides of 

 this worm were to be found lying about on the fields. At Feckenham 

 and Allesley rabbits were numerous in the same fields and were also 

 infected by a tapeworm {Cittotaenia pectinata) and, although I never 

 found the proglottides lying about, the eggs were on the field and could 

 be seen by taking some grass, soaking it in water, and filtering it through 

 cambric. On examining the filtrate the eggs were discovered. 



Although Moniezia and Cittotaenia differ widely they belong to 

 the same group of Taeniids, the Anoplocephalinae, and in all proba- 

 bility their life-histories are somewhat similar. 



In these fields were always found two species of slug and only 

 two — Agriolimax agrestis and Arion circumscriptus, the former very 

 much more common than the latter. In the daytime they are both 

 to be found at the roots of long grass, in holes with dead leaves or even 

 buried in the ground if the season be dry. The habit of burying itself 

 in the ground is very usual with Arion circumscriptus and not 

 infrequently it is to be found lying amongst the lambs' faeces. 



In the evening the slugs all come out and eat. They also emerge 

 in the daytime after warm rain. It is evident that they are exceedingly 



