340 



Rev. B. J. Clarke uit, Irish species of the yenus Limax. 



shagreened, marked with an elevated ridge which circumscribes 

 it and meets in a point over the pulmonaiy orifice, causing the 

 upper part of the mantle to appear more prominent than the 

 sides. 



The back is sharply keeled in its entire length from the mantle, 

 the keel projecting above the mantle when the animal is at rest 

 and forming a crenated ridge. The longitudinal sulci or mark- 

 ings of the skin well-defined and divergent toward the tail ; the 

 transverse sulci inconspicuous: the intervening spaces, being finely 

 granulated and not very apparent to the naked eye, give to the 

 animal that smooth, shining appearance, which, coupled with its 

 deep colour, has suggested the name of " Jayet." A double 

 marginal furrow runs rovmd the edge of the foot, which is very 

 conspicuous when in a state of contraction. The central band of 

 the foot is broader than the side ones. 



The iiiternal shell (PI. X. fig. /.) is small, of an elongated form, 

 oval, thick, and in-egularly convex beneath, with a crystalline ap- 

 pearance. In some of the varieties the shell is often flat beneath 

 and on the top presents a double appearance, or as if a smaller- 

 sized shell were placed on the top and centre of a larger, leaving 

 a broad marginal zone, which is often rufous coloured toward the 

 apex (PI. X. fig. g.). In some specimens the crystalline struc- 

 tm'e of the convex side assumes the appearance of the facets of 

 crystals. 



In the Queen's county, where I first obsen-ed this species, var. 

 7. is of by far the most common occurrence, which led me at fii'st 

 to believe them not to be identical with L. Gagutes of Drapar- 

 naud, and consecpiently when I first noticed it under the name 

 of " L. carinatus" (Ann. and Mag. of Xat. Hist. No. 36. p. 205), 

 I was unable to speak with any degree of confidence as to the spe- 

 cies. However, I have since obtained, abundantly, in the neigh- 

 bom-hood of Tuam and also near Lough Mask, the specimens 

 from which the present description and some of the figures 

 (figs. 16 and 17.) are taken, which so well agree with Drapar- 

 naad's and Ferussac's chagnostic characters. And I have the 

 fm-ther satisfaction of being fortified in my opinion by that of 

 Mr. Thompson, to whom I sent specimens for examination, who, 

 with his usual discrimination and caution, has pronounced them 

 to be identical with L. Gagates of Draparnaud. Ferassac, in de- 

 scribing his var. /3, "Plumbeus vel griseo-niger," remarks : "Nous 

 avons observe que la variete qui nous a ete envoyee le 24 A\Til 

 de la Eochelle par ]\I. D'Orbigny, et qui a la couleur pres nous 

 a offert tons les caracteres du L. Gagates de Draparnaud, ce qui 

 nous porte a la considerer comme une simple variete de cette 

 espece." 



This Limax is found rather abundantly in gardens around 



