1891.] GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF SLUGS. 223 



Europe, frequenting beech-woods, and often found at considerable 

 altitudes above the sea. In Ireland it has developed a remarkable 

 spotted race, maculatus, Roebuck. 



Limacopsis or Frauenfeldia is a group belonging to S.E. Europe, 

 at present httle known. 



(2) Malacolimax, Malm. — A genus with six species intermediate 

 in some respects between Limax and Ayriolimax, belonging to the 

 Western Palsearctic region. Mr. Pollonera has sent me M. nyctelius, 

 Bgt., from Algeria, and M. valentianus, Fer., from Barcelona. 



Mesolimax, Poll., founded on M. brauni. Poll., from Asia Minor, 

 is somewhat similar, but more allied to true Limax. 



(3) Agriolimax, Morch. — This genus, differently from Limax, 

 is exceedingly widely distributed, having apparently indigenous species 

 in the Palaearctic, Ethiopian, Australian, Nearctic, and Neotropical 

 regions. It is found, however, that all the species outside of the 

 Palsearctic region resolve themselves into either (1)4. agrestis, L., 

 of Europe, introduced, or (2) allies of the European A. Icevis, Miiller. 

 Dr. Simroth is of the opinion that these numerous teu/s-allies are all 

 referable to the true A. Icevis ; but I have examined a good many of 

 them, and am confident that a few species of non-Palsearctic Agrio- 

 limax will have to be kept as valid. In North America I should 

 regard A. campestris, Binn., as a species, with niontanus, Ing., hyper- 

 boreus, Wst., and occidentalis, Coop., as slight races of it. 



A. berendti, Strebel, of Central America, has a Californian race 

 hemphilli {Limax hemphilli, "W. G. Binn., 1890) ; this species re- 

 sembles L. agrestis rather than campestris in its dentition. I shall 

 have occasion to discuss the genus Agriolimax in detail at some 

 future time, and so will not give further particulars here. 



(4) Amalia, Moq. — ^Consists of three sections : — Subamalia, Poll., 

 with four reputed species from S.E. Europe ; Tandonia, L. & P., 

 with many species, all European, except one in Syria (concerning 

 which see Ann. Mag. N. H., Oct. 1890); and Pirainea, L. & P., 

 which is very well developed in the Mediterranean region, occurs 

 throughout Western Europe and in the Atlantic Islands, and also 

 at the Cape, in Brazil, in Juan Fernandez, in the Sandwich Islands, 

 on the Pacific coast of North America, in New Caledonia, and in 

 New Zealand, Australia, and Tasmania. It seems to be native out- 

 side of the European region in North America (the Pacific coast 

 only) and in New Zealand and Australia ; but its wide distribution 

 elsewhere is no doubt largely due to accidental introduction by human 

 means. Broadly speaking, Pirainea may be said to be cosmopolitan 

 in damp temperate regions ; but I will not here give the distribu- 

 tion in detail, as I shall treat the group fully on another 

 occasion. 



Prof. Ralph Tate in ) 881 described two species oi Amalia (as 

 Milax) from the Australian region. A. tasmanica, from Tasmania, 

 seems allied to the New-Zealand A. antipodarum, while A. nigricola, 

 from Adelaide, South Australia, should be compared with A. maura 

 (Q. & G.) from New South Wales. A. nigricola has been reported 

 as A. nigricollis from Tasmania, but I believe erroneously. 



