SCHARFF: ON ARION MINIMUS. 269 



band, but instead of being well defined and strongly marked — 

 as in other Arions — it is of a diffuse character, delicately grey 

 in tint, while in some cases it is absent altogether. 



The wrinkles on the body form the chief characteristic of 

 this interesting little slug. These, when examined by a lens, 

 are found to possess pointed projections, which cause a peculiar 

 glittering appearance when the light falls on them. These little 

 spikes, which I have not noticed in any other form, are only 

 seen when the animal is at rest. The body is then generally 

 drawn up in the semi-circular position, which is so often assumed 

 by Arion atei' or empiriconcm, but never seen in other slugs. 

 The slime is yellowish. 



The eggs are remarkably large for the size of the slug, 

 measuring 2^^ mills, long by 2 mills, broad. They are semi- 

 transparent and intimately attached to each other by a sticky 

 mucus. There were generally from 10 to 13 eggs in a cluster, 

 but never more than 16. 



As regards its habitat, Arioii minimus is peculiar to the 

 open country, and I believe it will be found commonly every- 

 where in fields and woods where fungi abound, which appear 

 to be their natural diet. In captivity they did not despise the 

 leaves of a species of Campanula, on which they were fed. 



The form to which Dr. Scharff calls attention in the above 

 paper is a not uncommon one in the British Islands, and is one 

 which I have long ago discriminated from its congeners, but 

 without venturing to accord to it specific rank or to regard it as 

 more than a young stage of one of the other species. Pending 

 its further study and a confirmatory examination of its ana- 

 tomical structure, I may say that I find among my records some 

 for the following counties in or from which I have seen it, the 

 form not being a difficult one to recognize when once known: — 

 N.E., N.W., Mid W., and S.W. Yorkshire, North Lincoln, 

 Cheshire, Notts., Norfolk East, Pembroke, Linlithgow, Ayr, 

 Main Argyle, Berwick, Edinburgh, Haddington, Clyde Isles, 

 North Perth, and Westmorland. — W. Denison Roebuck. 



