SLUGS AND HYMENOMYCETES 227 



spores of the species used were found in the digestive tracts of 

 the slugs and also in their faeces. When the faeces were placed 

 in hanging drops, the germ-tubes developed into a branched 

 mycelium. The spores of certain Hymenomycetes refused to 

 germinate in ordinary culture media, but germinated readily in 

 the fluid obtained from the digestive tract of a slug. An enclosure 

 was made around some ten specimens of Hebeloma fastibile which 

 were growing in the open, and four starved slugs were introduced 

 into it. In a few days the lamellae of all the fruit-bodies were 

 completely devoured. One of the slugs when dissected was found 

 to contain germinating spores of the fungus in its digestive tract. 

 The enclosure was kept moist with sterilised water and maintained 

 for about a year. At the end of this period it was observed that 

 the specimens of Hebeloma fastibile were much more numerous 

 in the enclosure than elsewhere in the neighbourhood. Toads 

 which were collected in some pinewoods were found to contain 

 germinating spores of species of Russula and Lactarius within 

 their alimentary canals. Some toads which were fed with slugs 

 were subsequently found to contain spores of Russula in an advanced 

 state of germination. Voglino came to the conclusion that the 

 propagation of fleshy Agarics, especially of Russulse and Lactarii, 

 is in a large measure due to slugs and toads which provide con- 

 ditions in their digestive tracts for spore germination. 



Although it may be true that slugs help in the local dispersal 

 of spores in a wood or field and provide conditions for their 

 germination, these animals, owing to their slow rate of movement, 

 could scarcely act as agents in spreading fungus species from 

 wood to wood when these are separated by considerable distances. 

 That slugs find a fruit-body palatable is no proof that they are 

 the agents for distributing the species to which it belongs. In 

 this connection we may consider the case of Polyporus squamosus. 

 Its fruit-bodies are much relished by slugs. I have known them, 

 when young, so persistently visited and so voraciously eaten that 

 they have been utterly ruined and have ceased development. 

 Now in nature the trees on which the fungus occurs are usually 

 a considerable distance apart, rarely less than several hundred 

 yards and frequently much further. Moreover, the fruit-bodies, 



