74 MALACOZOA. GASTEROPODA. PULMOBRANCHIATA. 



nate. The four tentacula rather short, cylindrical, a little 

 enlarged at the end. The shield soft, granulated, or marked 

 with small rounded prominences ; the rest of the surface with 

 numerous longitudinal ridges and furrows, which are often 

 nearly simple, frequently more or less branched or anastomo- 

 sing. The pulmonary orifice circular, large, on the right side 

 near the margin, toward the anterior part of the shield. The 

 narrow, thin margin of the body transversely striated with 

 brown and black ; the colour of the upper parts black, some- 

 times brownish-black, or blackish-brown, or dusky, or light- 

 grey; the lower surface greyish-blue, paler in the middle. 

 Length from three to five inches. 



The shell is composed of calcareous granules loosely aggre- 

 gated. 



The colour of this species appears to be easily modified by 

 local circumstances. Most of the large individuals are black, 

 brownish-black, or greyish-black ; but some are brown or 

 even reddish. Young individuals are grey, whitish, bluish- 

 white, yellow, orange, or amber-coloured. The globular semi- 

 transparent eggs are deposited among the roots of plants. 

 The species is very voracious, and injurious to garden produce. 

 It feeds on almost every sort of herbage, as well as strawber- 

 ries, turnips, and apples. 



Generally distributed. Very common in gardens, pas- 

 tures, fields, thickets, woods, and by hedges and walks. 



Limax ater. Linn. Fauna Suec. 507. Syst. Nat. i. — Limax sub- 

 rums. Linn. Syst. Nat. — Limax rufus. Linn. Fauna. Suec. 508. — 

 Limax ater. Muller. Verm. Terr, et Aquat. 2. — Limax ater. Lis- 

 ter. Anim. Angl. 13L— Limax ater. Drap. 122. T. 9. f. 3, 4, 5.— 

 Limax rufus. Drap. 123. T. 9. f. 6. — -Arion empiricorum. Ferus. 

 Hist. Moll. 60. 17. T. 1, 2, 3. — Limax rufus. Lamk. Syst. vi. 2. 

 49. Ed. 2. vii. 716. — Arion ater. Flem. Brit. Anim. 256. — Arion 

 ater. Aid. Mag. Zool. and Bot. ii. 105. — Arion ater. Gray's Turt. 

 104. 



Genus 2. Limax. Slug. 



Animal elongated, linear-oblong, or lanceolate, con- 

 vex above, carinate behind ; with the mantle shield- 

 like, elliptical, and marked with concentric lines ; head 

 retractile, with the upper tentacula longer and oculife- 

 rous ; pulmonary cavity under the scutum, and opening 

 near its right border posteriorly ; orifice of the anus at 

 the posterior border of that of the respiratory cavity ; 



