32 GENUS LIMAX. 
Food and Habits.—The habits of the Limacidw are very various, 
some being almost subterranean in their mode of life, but all are nocturnal 
or crepuscular, only leaving their lurking places at eve or during damp and 
showery Ww eather. 
A characteristic feature of the Limacidw is the plentiful secretion of 
mucus which may be utilized in the form of mucus filaments as a ready 
means of descent from elevated positions.’ 
Some of the species are eminently omnivorous, others are almost entirely 
restricted to fungi, while many will greedily devour such food when offered ; 
indeed, Simroth affirms their original food to be the Basidiomycetes, and the 
fungiferous stratum of moss in forests, heaths and mountains to be their 
original head-quarters. All, however, are more or less inclined to a flesh- 
diet, and on occasion may be not only carnivorous or cannibalistic, but even 
predatory. 
Parasites and Enemies.—Many animals prey upon the Limacidw, 
Hedgehogs, Frogs, and Toads being great enemies, and Ducks and Geese very 
partial to them, “while the ''hrushes, Blackbird, Chaftinch, Starling, Plovers, 
Curlew, Woodcock, Whinchat, Coot, Quail, Oyster- Catcher, Landrail, ete., 
are all recorded as slug devourers. Blindworms (Anguis fragilis) and 
some of the larger Staphylinidee also prey upon them; the Wood Ant has 
been observed to attack and overcome even the larger species, and larvie of 
various dipterous flies are very destructive to them in the egg state. 
Parasitic upon them are /sospora rara, a Gregarine, also Davainew pro- 
glottina, which is parasitic in the domestic fowl, but passes one of its stages 
within the body of a Limax ; while a Nematoid wor in, A scarioides limacis, 
is said to be found within the egg. Philodromus limacum,’ an Acarid, 
almost universally parasitic upon the land gastropods, is often particularly 
plentiful upon the different species of Limacidw. 
Geographical Distribution. —The Limacide are apparently of world- 
wide distribution, but it 1s probable that when their internal organization 
has been accurately ascertained, 1t will be found that the Lémacidw of dis- 
tant regions are more primitive forms and not so ey related in structure 
to western palearctic species as their external aspect appears to indicate. 
GENUS LIMAYX Linné. 
History.—The term Limax (Limar, a slug ; according to Brumati, the 
equivalent Italian word Lumaca is derived from limus, dirt, clay, or inud) 
was originated or instituted by Linné to distinguish one of the five ereat 
groups into which he classified the Mollusca. 
This broad application of the term has, however, from time to time been 
restricted until it is now used to more especially distinguish the species 
centreing around Limae maximus. 
Generic Characters.—ExtTerNatLy, the Limaces are distinguished by 
their more or less distinctly maculate or longitudinally fasciate Bopy ; their 
thin INTEGUMENT; their long and slender TENTACLES markedly bulbous at 
the apex ; DORSAL FURROWS distinctly marked, arising beneath the mantle 
and terminating at front of head, where they form the FACIAL GROOVES*; 
MANTLE or shield anterior, about one-third of total length of body, concen- 
trically wrinkled, with a sub-posterior nucleus ; Mucus clear or stained with 
red or yellow. 
SHELL elongate or ovoid in shape, white, shghtly concave ; APEX posterior, 
inclined to left side, and shghtly attached to animal; lines of growth con- 
centric and occasionally well marked. 
1 Monog. i., p. 316. 2 Monog,.i,, p. 423,f. 738. 3 Monog.i., p. 186, f. 360. 
