LIMAX MAXIMUS. 39 
crawl in a circular procession, their mantles flapping before and behind, 
continuing thus from half-an-hour to two hours-and-a-half or more, each 
with its mouth at the other’s tail, and eating the mucus from its partner’s 
body ; the circle becomes eradually more and more contracted and the 
animals more and more excited, until suddenly the slugs intertwine their 
bodies and launch themselves head downwards into space, but are restrained 
from falling by a strong mucus cable of a brownish colour, attached to the 
caudal end of the body, which gradually lengthens until it is from fifteen to 
eighteen inches long, and is a continuation of the thick bed of slime exuded 
during the prolonged circular promenade. 
Directly they are suspended, both slugs protrude the milk-white male 
organ, which, though cylindrical at first, quickly assumes a club-shape 
(fig. 58); a frilled edge (fig. 59) appears, and the unwinding is gradually 
and quickly completed (figs. 60, 61), the unrolled organs now intertwine 
closely round each other and form a whorled knot (fig. 62), and the two 
upper whorls spread out, in umbrella fashion, leaving the lower portion of 
the knot as before (fig. 63). The two upper whorls, however, sometimes do 
not overlap, but curve in different directions (fig. 64), and sometimes may 
be nearly horizontal but separate (fig. 65). The slugs now hang motionless 
with flaccid and contracted tentacles, while the two upper outspread whorls 
of the knotted penes keep revolving one upon another, and in this extra- 
ordinary manner the liquid semen ts transferred and the mutual act 
consummated. After a lapse of five to ten minutes the organs unwind, roll 
up, and are withdrawn into the body; while the slugs, which appear greatly 
exhausted, either drop to the ground or climb up the thread to the point 
of support, the thread itself sometimes being afterwards devoured. 
Shortly after pairing a number of eggs are deposited at the roots of trees, 
plants, or grass, beneath stones, and in other moist and suitable situa- 
tions ; they are agglomerated together i in heaps or clusters, or may form a 
long chaplet, by being attached together at their poles by a viscous mucus. 
They are roundly oval, about five mill. by four tll , of a translucent amber 
colour, and of a jelly- like consistency and appearance, but gradually becom- 
ing duller and more opaque. 
They hatch in about a month, the young being usually of a yellowish tint 
with four distinct lateral bands, which extend to the posterior third of the 
shield, and assume a horse-shoe shape, but during growth become broken 
up, especially upon the left side ; the ground colour also gradually changes 
in some districts, becoming of a wood- brown, often tinged with red, finally 
becoming duller ‘and the bands more obscure ; in other districts or under 
suitable conditions the immature colourings and decided banding of the 
young stage may be preserved to adult life. 
Parasites and Enemies.—In addition to the enemies and parasites 
of the group previously enumerated, this species is infested by a Nematode 
(Leptoderu flevilis), which lives within the salivary glands. 
Another species, Leptodera angiostoma Schneider, is found in the rectum, 
and according to Creighton the larvee have been found imbedded in a dense 
mass of glycogenous cells, surrounding the pedal artery. 
Geological History.—Limur maximus has been reported by Tour- 
nouér as found fossilized in France in the Middle Pleistocene of La Celle, 
near Moret, Seine et Marne. 
In England it has also been recorded from the Pleistocene deposits at 
Grays, in : South Hssex, and from those of the Ightham fissure in West Kent, 
by Mr. Abbott. 
