22 LIMACIDyE. 



The commonest, the most voracious, and consequently 

 the most destructive to almost all kinds of vegetables is 

 this little slug ; it is the pest of the flower garden, 

 which seems to be its favourite resort. It is said to pro- 

 duce many families in a year, and has been known to 

 lay as many as two hundred eggs at one time ! The 

 mucus is white, which when dry leaves a white streak. 



Hob. Almost every garden in the country ; also 

 fields, damp lanes, &c. 



L. CINERETJS. Muller. PI. IV, fig. 12. 



Animal of a cinereous colour, with elongated spots on the hack 

 keel long and straight, somewhat carinated ' towards the extremity ; 

 shield produced behind ; shell thin, flat, slightly concave, and pearly 

 white. 



Limax maximus, Gray. 



The largest of the Limaces, sometimes measuring five 

 or six inches in length. It is not so common as the for- 

 mer species, though found plentifully in all parts of the 

 British Isles. The shell is large, generally measuring 

 five or six lines in length and somewhat more than half 

 the breadth. The animal when at rest does not contract 

 its body, like most of the other land slugs, into a semi- 

 spheroid, but simply withdraws its head under the 

 mantle. 



Hab. Common everywhere in suitable places. It 

 prefers a shady situation under trees and stones. 



L. ARBORTJM. Bouchard Chanter eux. PL IV, fig. 14. 



Back round, somewhat flatter at the tail ; shield peculiarly wrinkled* 

 obtuse in front but pointed behind, of a peculiar tawny grey colour ; 

 shell of an oblong shape, rather convex above and concave below. 



This snail is usually found under decayed wood, on 

 which it is said to subsist, and hence obtains the name 

 of the tree slug. It resembles cinereus in some of its 

 stages, but seldom attains the same size, and may be 

 distinguished from it by the position of the spiracle and 

 the shape of the mantle ; it is also more attenuated, the 

 hinder part more lanceolate, and the anterior tentacles 

 much shorter. 



