SLUGS AND SNAILS. 303 



necessary before -vve can reach the shig's skin to destroy it with 

 such substances as soot, salt, and lime. Unless this is done, 

 time and money are simply wasted. I have seen slugs sitting 

 quietly on lime, surrounded by their slimo, and in no ways 

 afifected. Again, we must note they only come out at dusk, or 

 after rain, or in damp weather ; evening and early morning are 

 then the times to attack them, and more especially so in dry 

 weather. The various soil fumigants, such as vaporite, fumite, 

 and apterite, readily destroy slugs. Hydro-oxide of calcium in 

 a one to two per cent solution in water is also an excellent 

 remedy. 



Both Snails and Slugs have many natural enemies, such as 

 ducks, fowls, rooks, starlings, blackbirds, and thrushes. The 

 last two are of great assistance in keeping down an excess of 

 Helices. Moles, shrews, and toads also eat them. 



Those who wish to pursue this subject further are referred 

 to the two foUovying papers : " Injurious Mollusoa," ' The 

 Zoologist,' p. 201, June 1895; and "Injurious and Beneficial 

 Slugs and Snails," ' Journal of the Board of Agriculture,' vol. 

 xi. pp. 594-602 and pp. 650-658. 1905. 



