268 THE WOODLANDS. 



whoever will take upon himself the task of inves- 

 tigating them, comprehending their history, and 

 unveiling the mysteries of their existence, will ulti- 

 mately cease to despise them, and even become their 

 champions. 



Slugs are not all alike. The little Grey Slug, so 

 common in gardens, is very different from the two 

 kinds usually found in woods. One of these is a 

 large, black creature, which when contracted into 

 a quiescent attitude has longitudinal grooves, or 

 wrinkles, down its body. It is abundant in wet 

 weather, and when in motion is often three or four 

 inches in length, sometimes more. The snail carries 

 his shell on his back, and so does the slug, but in the 

 latter case it is only a small plate imbedded beneath 

 the skin. Like the snail, the slug has four tentacles, 

 called horns by juveniles, which are retractile, and 

 two of them have eyes at their extremities. The 

 natural food of the black slug is green vegetables, 

 .and of these it will consume a considerable quantity ; 

 hence all cultivators, whether farmers or gardeners, 

 treat them with slight respect. 



The other wood slug is sometimes called the Tree 

 Slug, because it is usually found under decayed wood, 

 on which it is said to subsist. It much more nearly 

 resembles the common garden slug, is of a tawny- 

 grey colour, and is narrowed towards the tail. These 

 .are the only two common slugs that we are privileged 

 to mention, and these are by no means confined to 

 woods, whilst others resort by preference to gardens, 

 yet are by no means rare in woods. It requires some 

 little practical knowledge to distinguish the different 



