ARION, 1 
Family.—AR{ONID&. 
Genus.—ARION Ferussac. 
The Arzons have a siime-gland at the extremity of the tail, but no 
dorsal carination. Respiratory orifice in front of the centre of the 
mantle-margin. The sze/d is granulated or shagreened, not con- 
centrically striated as in the Lzmaczde. 
ie ARiOneATER (lack) Lznzé Pl Teoh 1 
Body with oval rugosities, which are much coarser than in any other 
Arion, and form long ridges with deep furrows down the back ; szazz¢/e 
finely granulated ; foot-frenge usually marked with transverse striz, 
which are often black ; sZsve colourless ; colour black in the type, 
but extremely variable; se/7 none, or composed of scattered 
calcareous granules. The young are light coloured, very occasionally 
banded on the body ; foot-so/e white, occasionally bordered with black ; 
Length, 3 to 5 inches. 
The ‘* Black Slug,” or “‘ Hodmetod”* as it is called in 
the eastern counties, is the largest member of the genus. 
Its range extends over the whole of the British Isles, 
and it is often pestilently common. At Stafford I once 
saw a field of cabbages ruined by its depredations. 
It is not only extremely common in kitchen-gardens 
and places where there is rank or decaying vegetation, 
but it may be found on moors, in peaty and boggy places 
usually shunned by molluscs. 
* In other parts of the country Helzx asfersa is called the ‘*‘ Hodmetod.” 
