1 6 ' RrrcnT Ott INJURIOUS INSECTS IN 1903. 



The shell, which is internal, being situated below the mantle 

 is small, nearly .oval, concave beneath, nearly flat above and 

 thin, the margins being membraneous, the nucleus is small and 

 slightly eccentric. 



The eggs are globular and quite transparent, measuring 2 

 millim. in diameter. The slugs commence to deposit the eggs 

 in clusters of from 20 to 30 towards the end of March and continue 

 to do so until the end of November. The young are exactly like 

 the parents only smaller. 



Generally speaking they attack the developing plant imme- 

 diately it makes it appearance above the level of the soil, feeding 

 upon the young leaves from dark until daybreak ; on the approach 

 of light they make their way beneath the surface, lying concealed 

 amongst the loose earth which the germinating plant has dislodged, 

 in the burrows of earthworms or underneath stones, etc. 



PREVENTATIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES. 



Where the extent of ground is limited, such as a garden, the 

 young plants should be covered at night with plant pots, in which 

 the drain hole has been filled up with a bit cf clay, .when the pots 

 are removed in the morning, the sings will be found on the plants 

 and sides of the pots, and' may be picked off and killed. Starlings, 

 however, will clear more specimens in an early morning than any 

 amount of picking. Toads are also very fond of them. 



Until the plants are four or five inches in height, I have seen 

 excellent results from the use of very fine ashes sprinkled over the 

 ground to a thickness of about half an inch, but this is of no use 

 in wet weather, and to be any service the ashes must be renewed 

 each evening. Soot may be used in a similar manner. 



Infields the use of sand saturated with paraffin scattered 

 amongst the beans, has proved a very effectual remedy. 



