affecting the Clover-crops and Pasture-lands, G3 



multitudes of slugs and many snails. The slugs were of the milky 

 sort, and I doubt not that some of the eggs, which were of the 

 size of turnip-seeds, were laid by them. With them was also a 

 pair of the large, ochreous rough slug, laying eggs, and on crushing 

 them a string of full-sized eggs were protruded from each slug. 

 The eggs were contained in a tubular vessel, and appeared then 

 opaque-white, owing to the membrane covering them. These 

 large eggs varied in form : they were principally oval, but a few 

 were nearly globular, and souie of them were conical at one end. 

 They were ochreous yellow, and like bags of jelly. A few weeks 

 previously I had found at the roots of another plant a large mass 

 of these eo;ars. 



The scientific name of slugs is 



LiMAX. 



They have four tentacula or feelers, which are very sensitive, and 

 are concealed in repose. At the tips of the longer pair are placed 

 the eyes. They have a fleshy shield covering a horny plate, and 

 are, like snails, hermaphrodite, the aperture on the right side 

 opening into the organs of generation and of respiration. 



The species vary greatly in colour, and measure from half an 

 inch to five inches in length. The first of the three commonest 

 species is 



22. LiiviAx Agrestis (the Milky Slug). 



It is whitish or ash-coloured, with black tentacula, either im- 

 maculate or with scattered black specks and a yellowish shield. 



23. L. Ater (the Black Slug) 



is furnished with deep wrinkles, and has a rough shield; it is 

 sometimes deep black, pale or white beneath, with a yellowish 

 mouth and a pale greenish ridge down the back. Sometimes it 

 is of a dusky or chesnut colour, with a yellowish streak on each 

 side. L. empiricoriim is merely an adult variety of the former 

 species. 



24. L. Maximus (the Black-striped Slug) 



grows to the length of five inches : it is ash-coloured, sometimes 

 spotted, or with a black shield and the body striped with black ; 

 or with fine whitish streaks, the lower one interrupted ; or with 

 the body edged with white, 



Limax ater is recorded to have eaten sea-sand, paper, and 

 meat.* L. rufiis and agrestis are very partial to firm and crisp 

 fungi and damp boleti ; but of all the vegetables which slugs feed 



* Ann. Nat. Hist, for 1839, vol. ii. p. 310. 



