THF, SNAILS AND SLUGS OE THE GREEN LA.NES. 211 



a graceful form, and it then looks rounder than 

 any other species. It is generally found in the 

 neighbourhood of the sea, not far from the coast. 



The Teatacella lialiotidea (Fig. 149) is a creature 

 which connects the naked slugs with the land snails 

 possessing shells, in a very remarkable manner. Its 

 Latin name is derived from a little shell that is 

 situated at the extreme or tail-end of the body, 

 which shell is a diminutive resemblance of the 

 " Venus' ears," whose iridiscence recommends them 

 as such general ornaments. The body of the slug 

 is of a dirty yellow colour, about three inches long, 

 when stretched out in the act of crawl- P . 



rig. lol 



ing. We may almost regard this species 



as a modified snail, with aborted shell, or 

 as a slug with an embryonic one. It is the Jaw of Garden 

 terror of the common earthworm, which it 

 will follow up into its burrow a habit for which its 

 attenuated body admirably fits it. The worms, when 

 caught, are generally swallowed whole. The teeth of 

 this species have already been referred to (page 34). 

 Our land snails are better known by their shells 

 than anything else, as it is not long siiico their 

 classification was based on nothing else. Even 

 now, it is often surprising how little collectors 

 know of them beyond the form, &c. of the shells. 

 As boys, we all remember the " luck " which was 

 supposed to be attached to the successful plucker ol 

 a snail by the " horns." Whoever invented this 

 joke and it was very likely the ancient naturalist 



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