172 AKION ATER. 



Ill winter, wlieii half-grown, they are very apathetic, coiling themselves 

 up in a serpentine fashion, and huddling together in a close and compact 

 mass when in company with others. They grow very little during this 

 period, as they take little food ; but with the advent of warmer weather 

 their activity increases, they eat greedily, and rapidly increase in size. 



Food and Habits. — This species is very voracious, and almost omni- 

 vorous, as is demonstrated by the fact certified by Mr. Gain, that out of 

 I'.i? different kinds of food, only 39 were refused, while decaying animal or 

 vegetable matter, excrement, edible and poisonous fungi, paper, weak or 

 injured worms or animals of its own or other species are readily devoured. 



Fig. 202. — Fragment of newspaper, as eaten by Arion ater, showing the character of the 

 feeding-track (after H. Wallis Kew). 



The colour of the fseces is also singularly responsive to the nature of the 

 food, Mr. H. W. Kew stating that the faecal matter of individuals kept in 

 confinement and fed upon fresh green leaves was always dark green, but 

 when fed upon apple became of an amber colour ; if petals of Ranunculus 

 were eaten the excreta was deep yellow, but changed to a scarlet colour 

 when the animals were fed upon the berries of Arum maculatum. 



It is very sluggish and indolent, and recovers itself with difficulty when 

 placed on its back ; if startled or irritated it shrinks into a characteristic 

 hemispherical lump, and sways its body from side to side in a peculiar 

 rolling way. The favourite localities of this species are moist shady places 

 in woods, fields, and gardens ; it would seem to more especially prefer 

 roadsides and hedgerows. They emerge from their hiding-place at dusk 

 and during the night, but in moist or cloudy weather they come forth 

 during the day, their appearance at that time being popularly believed 

 to prognosticate rain. 



Superstitions, Folk Lore, etc. — The calcareous matter found beneath 

 the shield of Arion (iter was formerly believed to possess great and varied 

 medicinal virtues. It was firmly believed to be an infallible specific in 

 cases of consumption, and was amongst other methods prescribed to be 

 swallowed alive by the sufferer ; even at the present day, in some parts, a 

 ])oultice of slugs, placed upon the chest, is considered to have a very 

 beneficial effect in chest complaints. The ancient physicians also regarded 

 the powder resulting from the drying of the vestigial shell as a very effec- 

 tive remedy for dysentery, while PHny records the same powdery-dust as a 

 reniedy for the teeth. 



In niany parts of England, the country people still have a marvellous 

 faith in the use of this moUusk for the removal of warts ; the method 

 being to well rub the wart with the body of the slug, which by the rubbing 



