ScHAEFF — On the Slugs of Ireland. 615 



characteristic in Amalia carinata and Agriolimax agrestis, being always toiigli and 

 sticky in the former, and milky in the latter. 



The presence of dark lateral bands in most slugs from the very day of their 

 birth, has induced Simroth (38) to regard them as an ancestral character ; and, in 

 referring to them, he speaks of the ancestral bands (*' Stammbinde"). I merely 

 use the term " lateral bands," although in many cases there appear, besides the 

 original ones, two inner bands, one on each side of the median lighter stripe. 

 These inner bands are separated from the lateral bands by a light stripe, and 

 another similar stripe is on the outer side of the lateral bands. Thus, we 

 distinguish band and stripes — the former dark, the other light in colour. 



Simroth, in his monograph (38), has placed much weight in the classification of 

 slugs on the natiire of their food. However, my own investigations tend to show 

 that there are fungus-eating species among the Limaces as well as the Arions, whilst 

 most species are not particular as to what sort of food they get. Occasionally 

 they all turn carnivorous, and cannibalism is of frequent occurrence. 



The plan adopted in this Paper is to give a general concise synopsis of the 

 various genera and species. Under the heading of each species are paragraphs 

 dealing with : 1, External characters ; 2, Anatomy ; 3, Reproduction ; 4, Habitat ; 

 5, Food ; 6, General Distribution. The anatomical part has been curtailed to a con- 

 siderable extent, and only the general outlines of the reproductive organs have been 

 mentioned, which are sufficient in all cases to distinguish one species from another. 

 More elaborate accounts on the general anatomy will be found in Nunneley's (31) 

 and Simroth's (38) works. Neither the shell nor the radula are mentioned, as 

 they do not afford such easy and reliable evidence in the identification of the 

 species as the reproductive organs. 



The only papers ever published on Irish slugs are those of the Rev. B. J. 

 Clarke (3), and Professor Allman (1). Although the former is exhaustive as far as it 

 goes, it deals only with what was then believed to come under the head of the 

 genus Limax. Professor Allman was the first to describe Geomalacus maculosus. The 

 subsequent publications containing reference to Irish slugs are more of the nature 

 of lists. 



In Forbes and Hanley's History of British Mollusca (9), a few references 

 are made to Irish slugs ; and Thompson, in his Natural History of Ireland (43), 

 gives a complete list of the species with which he was acquainted. A Paper 

 by Taylor and Roebuck, entitled "Authenticated materials towards a Land and 

 Freshwater Molluscan Fauna of Ireland " (42), contains the most recent list of 

 slugs, with a good many records of localities from all parts of the country. For 

 the past few years Messrs. Taylor and Roebuck have had in preparation a 

 Monograph of the Land and Freshwater Mollusca of the British Fauna, which no 

 doubt, will contain a good deal of useful information on the distribution and 



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