THE NAUTILUS. 21 



This classification is, to a certain extent, provisional ; and may 

 have to be somewhat modified when we have a fuller knowledge of 

 the anatomy. Whatever else may be said of it, the principle 

 adopted is the right one, and the only one which modern science 

 can recognize. The arrangement of the Adams brothers is largely 

 artificial, both as to genera and subgenera, as well as the system 

 adopted by Lica, as they bring together side by side, species and 

 groups from every country which have no close relationship what- 

 ever, and by such methods anatomical and conchological characters, 

 the facts of geographical distribution, habits and palaeontology, are 

 ignored. 



THE SMALL GREY SLUG IN JAMAICA. 



BY T. D. A. COCKERELL. 



Some days ago Mr. W. Harris sent me from Cinchona some 

 strawberry plants, together with a beetle larva which was injuring 

 them. Of this larva there will be more to say hei-eafter, but the 

 object of the present note is to record that among the plants I found 

 three specimens of the small, grey slug of Europe, Agriolhnax agrestis. 

 This slug, well-known as a garden pest in England, has never before 

 been noticed in the West Indies, and there can be no doubt that it 

 has been introduced with plants. It is, I suppose, almost impossi- 

 ble to import living plants without sooner or later introducing for- 

 eign slugs. They and their eggs come in the earth about the roots, 

 and, in many cases, it must be practically impossible to detect them 

 on arrival. It might be advisable in some cases to isolate newly- 

 arrived plants by water, and search for slugs on them at intervals; 

 or we might import the carnivorous slug, Test ace lla ; or introduce 

 some of our native carnivorous snails, Oleacina, into the locality 

 where the plants were being propagated. It has been recorded that 

 in twenty-four hours, 25 specimens of Testacella devoured 25 earth- 

 worms and 25 Agriolimax axjredis. 



The small, grey slug, although now first detected here, has 

 spread to many distant localities by human means. I have seen 

 specimens from various parts of the United States, west to the 

 Pacific coast and east to New Jersey, from St. Helena, the Canary 

 Islands, Tristan d'Acunha, New Zealand, etc., and no doubt in time 

 it will inhabit every part of the earth in which the climate is suit- 



