170 Mr. C. Hedley on Australian Slugs. 



The conclusion lias forced itself ni)on ine tliaf; all the species 

 of Umax described as native to Australasia may be referred 

 to either L. maximiis, favus, gafjafes, orjrestis, or Icnvis, all 

 introduced from Europe. j\Ir. Cockerell prefaces his remarks 

 by assuriuQ- his readers that the powers of migration of a slug 

 arc extremely limited. Be that as it may, in their race to the 

 antipodes they have far outstripped their shell-bearing rela- 

 tives. Tasmanian specimens of L. maximufi were observed to 

 be infested with an acarus, which, unfortunately, I failed to 

 preserve. Should it prove to be identical with the parasitic 

 attendant of the European moUusk, this fact would argue 

 that the animals migrated not in the Qgg but in tlie adult 

 stage. 



After examining several hundreds of the handsome diamond- 

 slug, Aneitea Graejfei, Humbert, from various localities 

 ranging along fourteen degrees of latitude, I reiterate the 

 opinion formerly expressed (Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland, 

 vol. V. ]it. V. ])p. 162-1 7o) that only one species of this genus 

 is yet known to inhabit Australia, and that, with all deference 

 to J\Ir. CockcrcU's decision, A. Krefti and Schutei iwe mere 

 synonyms. The colour, size, and shape, as well as all details 

 of the external anatomy, are so obscured in spirit-specimens 

 of slugs that specific characters should be described froin such 

 with extreme caution. As instancing the difference between 

 living and preserved specimens I would invito comparison 

 between two figures of A. Graefei, (a) ' Memoires de la 

 Soeietd de Physique et d'Histoire Naturclle de Geneve/ 

 vol. xvii. pt. 1, pi. xi. fig. 2, from an alcoholic specimen, and 

 (h) ' Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland,' vol. v. 

 pt. 5, ])1. vii. fig. 1 (i)ublished with vol. vi. pt. 1), from life; 

 as well as between those of Ci/stopdta Fetterdi, Tate, (a) 

 ' Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,' 

 (2) vol. V. pt. 1, pi. i. fig. 1, from an alcoholic specimen, 

 and {b) op. cit. vol. vi. pt. 1, pi. iii. fig. 4, from life. 



When Mr. Cockerell writes of ^4. Macdonaldi, Gray, " New 

 Caledonia, and reputed also to occur in the New Hebrides," 

 he has evidently transposed the localities, as a glance at Dr. 

 Macdonald's original description in an early number of this 

 periodical will show. Indeed, it is from the island of Anei- 

 teum, in the New Hebrides, that the genus derives its name. 

 Tt was also collected in that island by the well-known traveller 

 and zoologist My. John Brazier, and is unknown in New 

 Caledonia. 



To Australia Mr. Cockerell assigns eighteen species of 

 Ilelicarion. I can only say tliat Australian naturalists are 

 unacquainted with eighteen, or even witli eight, indigenous 



