76 LI M ACID ^E. 



erroneous notion prevails that slugs are identical with 

 snails, and that in summer they leave their shells and 

 return to them for protection in winter. The body of 

 the slug is naked and its shell internal (except in the 

 case of Testacella, which has a small external shell 

 placed near the tail), whereas the body of the true 

 snail is entirely or very nearly covered by the shell, 

 to which it is permanently attached by muscles. 



GENUS LARI'ON* FERUSSAC. 



Body elongated, subcylindrical, skin coarsely wrinkled ; mantle 

 shagreened ; respiratory orifice situated towards the front or a 

 little beyond the middle of the right edge of the mantle ; repro- 

 ductive orifice below the respiratory orifice ; tail provided at its 

 extremity with a slime gland; jaw arched, strongly ribbed. 



Shell consisting of loose calcareous granules, which are covered 

 by the posterior portion of the mantle. 



Unless Ferussac meant to be ironical, the name he 

 gave to this genus is singularly inappropriate; the 

 slugs, so far as is known, are not gifted with musical 

 or poetic genius, nor are they steed-like in their move- 

 ments ! 



The Arions, though commonly called black slugs, 

 vary considerably in colour, especially when imma- 

 ture ; they frequent moist and shady places in woods 

 and hedgerows, as well as gardens where they are 

 most destructive to fruit and vegetables; they also 

 devour decomposing animal matter, and sometimes, 

 when other food fails, their neighbours'- slime. When 

 reposing they contract their bodies into a helmet- 



* The name of an ancient Grecian musician and poet, also of a 

 fabulous horse said to have been produced by Neptune. 



