6o Second Report on Economic Zoology. 



Agriciiltuvnl Collex^e, this and another snail caused mueli loss 

 amongst mustard plants, coming down, whenever there was any 

 moisture, from the chalk downs above the farm. H. viryata is one 

 of the species that has given rise to the popular notion that snails 

 come down in the rain. It is an extremel}" abundant and gregarious 

 species, and may be seen in damp weather in vast numbers clinging 

 to the plants. Directly the air becomes dry it retires into the 

 ground amongst the herbas^^e, and there remains hidden until fresh 

 rain comes, when it suddenly reappears. In dry w^eather it becomes 

 dispersed by the wind, particularly on the dov\'ns and sandy heaths, 

 and especially along the sea-coast. Allhougii, as above shown, it 

 sometimes does much harm it is said to have the redeeming quality 

 of imparting a fine flavour to our south-country mutton, being taken 

 up by the slieep wlien grazing, and considered to be very nutritious. 

 There is no doubt of that, though it is certainly doul.)tful if they 

 flavour the meat. H. virgata is active in the coldest weather and 

 does not hibernate. During the cold winter of 1894 I found, on the 

 downs at Wye, many specimens of this species quite active. Eggs 

 are laid in clusters of three or four from September to November and 

 even in December. The shell is conical, with a broad and convex 

 base, white or creamy, with a single purplish-1)rown band above the 

 periphery, and sometimes as many as six or seven Ijelow it, more 

 often two or tliree : the colour is very variable, sometimes plain 

 wliite, brown, or grey, with white bauds ; occasionally the dark bands 

 are broken, so as to make the shell appear spotted ; whorls G, 

 last = i-shell ; mouth purplish inside, with a strong rib, sometimes 

 purple, sometimes white. Several varieties are known. The body 

 of this snail is dusky grey, and coarsely tubercled ; mantle, dark 

 violet, speckled with white and brown. 



H. caperata is a sluggish species which seldom moves except after 

 rain. It is found generally under stones and wood, and on grass 

 stalks in dry places. It is very abundant often in corn-fields. 

 The ova, round, white, and opaque, are laid in September and 

 October, each snail depositing about forty, which hatcli in three 

 W'Ceks. The young are quite transparent. I have seen it doing 

 much harm in France. H. caperata differs from H. virgata in its 

 much smaller size, its flattened spire, its larger umbilicus, and the 

 rib-like strias which encircle each whorl. There are other snails 

 which now and then become superabundant and do harm, but so far 

 they are of exceptional occurrence. 



Of slugs the three most destructive species are Avion ater, Limax 

 agrestis, and L. maximiis. 



