SNAILS AND SLUGS. 



45 



increase. Most warm, well-watered islands, as the 

 West Indies, abound with snails. 



But in spite of our dry summers a good many 

 snails manage to exist in California, especially ia 

 the neighborhood of the ocean, where the incom- 

 ing fogs keep their soft bodies moist and healthy. 

 If a dry time come, they creep into some sheltered 

 spot, like a crack in a stump, or get under *% 

 friendly old board. Then they retreat into their 

 shells, and spin a heavy curtain across the en- 

 trance, to keep out the dry air and to protect 

 themselves from troublesome intruders. They 

 are cunning fellows, these snails. 



There are two kinds of creatures that are com- 

 monly called snails: those that have shells and 

 those that have none. Of these, the former are 

 the true snails, while those without shells are 

 properly called slugs. The latter are more hardy 

 than the snails, and in some parts of California 

 they are so numerous that they become quite 

 disagreeable. The big yellow ones are often as 

 long as a new lead pencil and three times as far 

 through. Figure 15 shows the appearance of one 

 of these yellow slugs. 



Figure 15. 



