550 ScHAEFF — On the Slugs of Ireland. 



The bands are sometimes completely absent, but when present, they are very 

 faintly marked and diffuse, both on the body and mantle. I think the nature of 

 the lateral bands and the wrinkles are the two most characteristic features in 

 this slug. 



Compared with A. Bourguignati, for which dark specimens might be mistaken, 

 the touch alone will help us to some extent, A. intermedius being much softer, and 

 leaving a bright yellow watery mucus behind, whilst the former is thick-skinned, 

 with a sticky white mucus. The habitat will also distinguish the two species, as 

 they are never found in comparky. 



Anatomy (Plate LVIL, fig. 36). — The reproductive organs, as has been shown by 

 Simroth (38) approach those of A. suhfiiscus more than those of any other form. 



The oviduct {ov.) is short and straight, the receptaculum seminis (rec.) round, 

 and the sperm-duct [sp.) scarcely swollen in the " Patronenstrecke " [pat). These 

 open into a large vestibule {Iv.). 



Reproduction. — The clusters of eggs which I observed very frequently in August 

 and September never exceeded twenty. The eggs are remarkably large for the 

 size of the slug, being 2 mm. long by 1^ mm. broad. The young ones of 8 mm. 

 in length, which I bred in captivity, were of a light gray, owing to the intestine 

 being visible through the semi-transparent walls of the body. The head was 

 of a delicate gray, and no bands were visible on the body or mantle. Still younger 

 ones, of 3 mm. long, were of a very light red, with violet tentacles, and had 

 emerged from the egg three weeks after their deposition. Their limit of age has 

 been determined by Simroth (38) as not exceeding one year. I myself found 

 adults up to the middle of October, but not by any means so commonly as during 

 August and September. 



Habitat. — This slug is never met with in the garden or on cultivated ground. 

 I found it for the first time last August in a field under a heap of decayed weeds at 

 Raheny, near Dublin, in company with Arion ater, A. subficscus, Amalia gagates, and 

 Agriolimax agrestis. Shortly after, I obtained numerous specimens close by feeding 

 on common mushrooms (Agaricus) and fungi, which had appeared in the fields. 



In the Earl of Meath's demesne at Kilruddery, county Wicklow, this slug is 

 common ; also at Killakee in the Dublin Mountains. In fact, wherever there are 

 fungi one is sure to find it, but, like A. subfuscus, it takes green food pretty freely 

 in captivity. No doubt, A. intermedius has a wide range, but up to the present I 

 have only taken specimens in the neighbourhood of Dublin, whilst one was sent 

 me by the Rev. A. H. Delap, from Lough Caragh, in Kerry. This latter was of a 

 uniformly dark gray colour.* 



Food. — The nature of the food has already been referred to above. A. inter- 



* I have since taken them in Connemara, in the "West of Ireland. 



