32 Our British Snails 



with usually a dark stripe on each side. Foot- 

 sole white, and its fringe white with dark cross 

 streaks. Never very abundant. 



Avion minimus. — The smallest Arion : not an 

 inch long. Grey or yellowish. Feeds on fungi. 

 Body wrinkled with microscopic spikes. Common. 

 T\\Qyou7ig of A. ater might be mistaken for it. 



Avion hovtensis. — Grey with purple side bands. 

 Foot-sole yellow, i to i J inch in length. Generally 

 found in gardens, as its name indicates. 



Avion civcumscvipUis. — Ver\^ common in fields. 

 K dark band down the back, foot-sole white. 

 Very " sluggish." 



Geomalacus maculosiis (i.e. the spotted earth- 

 mollusc) .— Only found in south-west Ireland. 

 Probably a relic of the prehistoric time when 

 Ireland was joined to Portugal and Spain. Has 

 a solid chalky shell beneath the shield. Blackish 

 with oval yellow spots. Feeds on lichens. 



Amalia gagates (gagates is Greek for ''jet"). — 

 Dark lead colour. Foot-sole white. Length 2j 

 inches. Local, and mainly near sea, 



Amalia Sowevhyi. — Brown, speckled with black. 

 Foot-sole yellowish. Length 2| inches. Local. 

 Shell often very thick. 



Limax maximns. — Length 4 to 6 inches. Grey 

 with two dark lateral bands. Often found in 

 cellars. 



Limax cineveo-nigev. — Ashy-black. Very like 

 L. maximus, but with a sharp keel, and the sole 



