132 PHILOMYCIDAE 



longitudinal bands down the back and sides of the animal. The 

 long, narrow, whitish foot extends slightly beyond the posterior 

 end of the mantle. 



Philomycus carolinianus has a wide distribution over Illinois. 

 It is a forest-loving species usually found in moist woodlands 

 under bark that is well started and that allows ample space for 

 the fat body of this slug. A single large prostrate tree trunk 

 may contain as many as 20 specimens of this species, often of 

 many sizes and ages from young to mature. 



A characteristic of this slug is its habit of excreting an 

 unusual amount of extremely sticky mucus when handled or 

 disturbed. 



In nearly all books on Mollusca, this slug is known as 

 carolinensis, but the name given to it by its describer is caro- 

 linianus. 



Genus PALLIFERA Morse 



The slugs belonging to the genus Pallifera measure less 

 than an inch (20 mm.) in length. Pallifera dor salts so much 

 resembles Deroceras gracile that the two have no doubt been 

 confused by many students. They are of about the same size, 

 but in Pallifera the mantle covers the posterior three-fourths 

 of the body, while in Deroceras the small mantle covers only 

 the front part of the body above the respiratory organs. 



Key to Species 



Body uniformly ashy or dark gray dorsalis, p. 132 



Body with dark spots on a whitish or flesh-colored ground 



Josteri^ p. 133 



PALLIFERA DORSALIS (Binney) 



In Illinois, Pallifera dorsalis, less than an inch in length 

 (20 mm.), is ashy or dark gray without color markings. In 

 some other states, how^ever, this species has an interrupted black 

 line extending down the center of the back. The upper surface 

 is covered with rather indistinct furrows separating the glandu- 

 lar projections. The body, narrow and cylindrical, ends in a 

 point. 



The short eye peduncles are about as long as the neck, termi- 



