172 . UP AND DOWN THE BROOKS. 



sight upon the walk. One evening a little girl 

 called my attention to a slug that was about five 

 inches long, an inch and a half high, and about as 

 wide. The slug looked a good deal like a slimy, 

 glistening sweet potato. Even the infants among 

 these slugs are of greater size than ordinary. I 

 frequently see partially grown slugs that measure 

 perhaps three inches long, but are only about 

 half an inch wide. 



Ariolimax has a dainty taste. Blue violets are 

 delightful articles of food to these slugs. I re- 

 member how horrified two ladies were to meet a 

 moderate-sized Ariolimax among the leaves of the 

 violets they were picking. The slime left by such 

 large slugs is very tenacious. Get some of it on 

 your hand and it is a difficult job to wash the 

 substance off. Step in it, and you will wish you 

 had n't. The promenades that the Ariolimax 

 family insist on taking toward dark become a 

 serious source of annoyance and worry to one 

 who does not wish to set his foot on one of these 

 huge creatures. I should as soon think of crush- 

 ing a baby. 



I once found one of these huge slugs inside of 

 General Fremont. For the benefit of the too 

 startled reader I would hasten to explain that the 

 General mentioned is a huge redwood, one of the 

 " Big Trees " near Santa Cruz. Damp woods and 

 the vicinity of springs delight Ariolimax and in 

 such places this creature may hide during the dry 

 summers. 



