ON GASTEROPODA. 3290 
it, in consequence of the nudity of their skin, which causes 
the dryness of the air, as well as the solar action, to be very 
pernicious to them. 
They are animals, in fact, which never issue forth from the 
holes of old walls, from under stones, or half-rotten leaves, 
cracks in the barks of trees, mushrooms, and even from the 
interior of the earth, where they retire habitually, except at 
that period of the day when there is generally more humidity 
in the air, that is in the evening, and early in the morning. 
They are particularly to be seen in greater abundance after 
warm and gentle showers in spring and summer. 
Like the helices, or snails, the limaces are afraid of cold ; 
but although they can shelter themselves but very incom- 
pletely under their buckler, they appear to dread it less than 
the latter. Accordingly they are found to enter later into the 
state of hybernation. Nevertheless, for the purpose of passing 
the winter, they sink into the hollows of the ground. They 
appear, on this occasion, more particularly to prefer the 
humus or mould which is formed in the trunks of rotten trees. 
Individuals have been found at more than the depth of a foot 
in this substance. In this state of torpor, the limaces con- 
tract themselves as much as possible in length, so that they 
become almost hemispherical. 
Their general activity increases according to the tempera- 
ture. It is generally about the end of spring, and in summer, 
that they seek each other for the purpose of reproduction. 
We know but little respecting the particulars of their inte1- 
course. ‘They are hermaphrodites, and give and receive im- 
pregnation at the same time. The organs of generation are 
situated near the neck. 
A very short time after intercourse, and generally in the 
month of May or June, the limaces lay eggs, more or less 
globular, and the size of which varies according to the 
species. They are deposited isolatedly in little heaps, more 
