74 LIMAX TENELLUS. 



half-grown ; about July they appear above ground and feed upon the fungi, 

 which at that period begin to flourish, the appearance of the slug being 

 coincident with and dependent on the development and growth of the fungi 

 upon which it feeds. 



When young, the animals are almost uuicolorous, and may then easily 

 be confused with pale Agriolhnax leevis or A. agrestis, but the polygonal 

 reticulation of L. agrestis and the brownish tentacles of L. hccis aid us in 

 their separation. 



Their unicolorous state may be continued to adult life, but usually when 

 about half-grown they acquire on each side of the mantle a brownish or 

 black zone, which may later assume a lyre-shape. The inner side of this 

 dark marking has a pale margin, and this gives rise to a darker median 

 patch which when well defined assumes somewhat the shape of a hour-glass. 



The mantle-band may occasionally extend lo the body as a faint longi- 

 tudinal zone. In addition there is a pale mid-dorsal or keel streak, which 

 is quite broad at its origin, gradually narrowing, but widening again before 

 finally contracting as it approaches the tail, which in young animals is 

 tinged with a delicate carmine. 



Variation. — Limax tenellus is not a very variable species, but there 

 appear to be some differences recorded in the fundamental body-colour, 

 and in addition there may be distinct lateral banding on the shield, which 

 may extend upon the body also. 



Dr. Westerlund, in his Fauna Europe, 1876, p. 11, gives as a variety of 

 this species the Limax squammatinus of Morelet, but this is really a species 

 of Geomalacus. 



According to Dumont & Mortillet's observation upon Limax sylvaticus, 

 which Lessona & Pollonera allocate with L. tenellus, the banded variety is 

 more especially an inhabitant of the mountains and exposed situations, the 

 unicolorous form being more characteristic of the lower lands and umbra- 

 geous places ; these features do not appear to be so well marked in their 

 German habitats. 



Var. cerea Held, Land Moll. Bayern, 1849, p. 15. 



Limax syivaticjts var. intviacvlatus Dum. & Morti]., Mai. Savoie, 1857, p. 11. 



Animal of a somewhat uniform waxy-yellow colour, with only faint traces of 

 lateral banding. 



According to Di-. AVesteilund the Limax xm\thius Bourg., from jNIalberg, near 

 Ems, in Germany, is an unicolorous yellowish variety of tliis species, and is prob- 

 ably referable to the var. cerea. 



This form is also found at Augsburg, Munich, and on the mountains of the 

 Traunstein, Bavaria ; the Erzegebirge, and at Konigstein in Saxony, and if the 

 reference by Lessona & Pollonera be correct, is also met witli in Savoy, where it 

 Wiis recorded by Dumont & Mortillet as L. sylraficiis var. imiiianilatn^.' 



The British and Scandinavian examples would appear to belong to this variety, 

 as they are recorded as possessing only a slight lateral sliading. 



Var. fulva Normand, Desc. Limac. Nouv., 1852, p. 7. 



Liinax fulvtis Normand, op. cit. 



Animal reddish-brown, suffused dorsally with black ; shield reddish-brown, 

 scarcely obscured by some small pulviform b'lackish spots ; tentacles vinous-brown ; 

 locomotory mucus colourless ; body mucus yellow. 



This variety, or geographical race, which was confused with L. nvlmnim until 

 shown by Simroth to be a form of L. ta\elln>i, has l)een found at Valenciennes, in the 

 department of the Nord, by Normand; in the Forest at Saint-Saulge, in the Ni(ivre, 

 by Brevifere ; in the Forest of Hez, in ths Oise, by Dr. Baudon ; in the neighbourhood 

 of Dijon, in the Cote d'Or, by Drouct ; and at Luxembourg, in the department of 

 the Seine, by M. Kctout. 



