Land-slugs and Glass-shells 333 



extended wlien at rest, or Avitli tlie " tail " curled round 



towards the mantle. Close to the tail there is a 



slight keel ; otherwise the back is rounded. 



The mantle is marked with concentric lines : 



the upper antennae are long ; and the foot 



is margined with white. Beneath the mantle 



is the oblong shell, covering the respiratory she 11 of 



cavity whose opening is on the right- '^^ ""^ 



hand border of the mantle towards the back. 



All the species in the genus Limax agree generally 

 with the description above : in addition it may be 

 said the reproductive orifice opens at the base of the 

 right upper tentacle, and the mouth is furnished with 

 a smooth, strongly arched and beaked jaw. They 

 are often seen in little colonies, and they burrow 

 slightly beneath the surface for the jDurpose of 

 secreting their eggs. Several of them spin threads 

 of mucus by which they suspend themselves from 

 trees, rocks, etc. We have already alluded to the 

 fact that all slugs are not the plant destroyers they 

 are supposed to be. The Great Slug and the Yellow 

 Slug (Z. flaviis) are said actually to decline all foods 

 containing chlorophyll — the green colouring-matter 

 of most plants. It is therefore highly probable that 

 the gardener who cannot discriminate between the 

 various species is wasting much of his valuable time 

 when he sets out to exterminate sluo^s. This same 

 L. maxiiniis is fond of all sorts of kitchen garbage 

 that is not green, such as fat, bread, meat scraps, milk, 

 etc. In a passage behind our house in Cornwall we 

 used to keep njeat, milk, " buzzas " of spring- water, 

 and so forth, until required for use. The cool slate- 

 floored recess in the wall where stood the water- 



