90 RAMBLES IN SEARCH OF SHELLS. 



anticipated, varies in the different species ; and in 

 the so-called shell-slug \Testacella), as we have 

 already pointed out, it becomes external, and is 

 situated on the back near the tail. 



The common species are the black slug (Arion 

 ater), the garden slug (A. hortensis), the great slug 

 (Limax maximus), the yellow slug (L. flavus), and 

 the field slug (L. agrestis). The two first-named 

 are very destructive to plants and fruit, and are also 

 carnivorous, feeding on earth worms and decaying 

 animal matter, and sometimes even indulging in 

 cannibalism. The Limax maximus and L. flavus 

 frequent our houses and stables, and assiduously take 

 upon themselves the duties of scavengers during the 

 hours of darkness, retiring to out-of-the-way damp 

 places and drains in the day time. They do not, 

 however, confine themselves to buildings, but may 

 be found also under stones in damp situations and 

 about decaying stumps in woods. 



The Limax agrestis is the pest of the farmer as 

 well as the gardener, and may be met with in the 

 corn-fields in such abundance that even the willing 

 rooks and pheasants find it no easy task to keep its 

 numbers within safe limits. It is stated in Bell's 



