192 



SLUGS. 



Slugs have a soft oblong body, furnished above with a 

 fleshy shield, and below with a flattened expansion, which 

 serves the purposes of a foot. On the right side of the 

 breast is a large opening, and on the front of the head are 

 placed four feelers, or horns, as they are popularly called ; 

 two of these are of a superior size, and furnished at the 

 tip with an eye. 



Among the various species and varieties, we may remark 

 the Common Black Slug, distinguished by its deep 

 wrinkles. A brownish variety is very common in gardens, 

 fields, &c. Tt crawls very slowly, and leaves a slime 

 wherever it passes. 



The most interesting of this genus is a variety of the 

 Rustic Slug ; called from its curious habits, the Spinning 

 Slug. It is of a whitish colour, with a yellowish shield ; 

 it is about three quarters of an inch in length, and inhabits 

 woods, &c. This Slug exudes from the under parts of its 

 body, a sticky liquor, which, on being drawn out, is capable 

 of sustaining the animal at a considerable depth. The 

 Slug appears conscious of its power, and does not fear to 

 cast itself from the brink of any it wishes to quit. The 

 faculty of spinning seems to be exhausted after some 

 exertion, but is renewed by the creature's being left in a 

 humid situation. 



Another variety of the same species, half an inch in 

 length, and speckled with black, is the Slug, which has 

 been recommended to consumptive patients. All these 

 animals feed entirely on vegetables, and are produced from 

 whitish gelatinous eggs. 



The marine genus DORIS, is much allied to the slug ; its 

 species have been called Sea Snails. The most common 

 of these is the Doris Papillosa ; it is of the size and 

 colour of a brown Slug, but is covered with soft pointed 

 processes. 



The PHOSPHORIC PYROSOMA is a very curious animal ; 

 its body is of a lengthened tubular form, open at one 

 extremity and closed at the other; the body is scattered 

 over with numerous soft papillse or tuburcles, and there is 

 no appearance of any internal organs. The colour of the 

 animal when at rest is of a pale greenish blue ; but when 

 in motion, which it affects by the alternate contraction 

 and dilatation of its body, it assumes a highly luminous 



