4048 Mollusks. 



caused him at once to quit his hold of his prey. The poor frog, « nothing loath," then 

 made a spring into the nearest strawberry-bed, while mousey retreated into the orcnard. 

 I waited some time without stirring, in the hope that, like the weasel, the shrew might 

 have again returned to the charge, as I felt interested in the manoeuvres, of a contest 

 hitherto new to me; but I was disappointed :- 1 saw my black friend presently make 

 a detour into some thick grass, evidently bent upon retreat. Any facts tending to 

 throw light upon the carnivorous propensities of our insectivorous group of mammals 

 is interesting, and therefore I record the above otherwise trifling incident. There is 

 nothing in their dentition sufficiently distinct to separate them from the Carmvora, as 

 any one may satisfy himself by examining the tripartite wedge-like molars, and the 

 recurved sharp canines of the common mole. I believe that the acquiescence of natu- 

 ralists in the opinion that the hedgehog, shrew, and mole feed exclusively on insects, 

 has alone kept up the generic distinction of the two groups. If your readers will be 

 kind enough to record every instance in which any of the above (so-called) purely in- 

 sectivorous quadrupeds are known to feed upon animals higher in the scale than insects, 

 they will do something towards the union of two orders, at present perhaps artificially 

 divided. I do not remember seeing Sorex remifer before in my ground ; S. araneus 

 is common enough.— C. R. Bree ; Stowmarket, August, 1853. 



Occurrence of Umax Gagates near Tenby, S. Wales. - Only one instance of the 

 occurrence of this slug has, as I believe, hitherto been recorded as a denizen of Great 

 Britain, namely, that found by Mr. Derbyshire in the Isle of Portland : it is with much 

 pleasure therefore that I have to record the capture of a second specimen, taken by 

 myself in South Wales. Late in the evening of the 22nd of last month, I was stroll- 

 ing along the old Carmarthen road from Tenby, about a mile from the latter place, 

 when I discovered my slimy friend taking his evening's airing on the damp hedge- 

 bank. The following is a description of him : - Specific character : back carmated 

 throughout ; shield granulated, olivaceous black, with paler sides. Head bluish ; ten- 

 tacles darker, particularly the superior, which are deep violet. Shield ample, squarish, 

 bilobed behind (being indented by the keel in the centre), granulated, same colour as 

 the rest of the body. General colour very deep olive, or olivaceous black, becoming 

 lighter at the sides, so that the margin of the foot is very pale, except near the tail, 

 where it is darker ; sole nearly white. Keel extending the whole length of the back, 

 sharply edged ; the edge somewhat darker than the rest of the body. Mucus colour- 

 less abundant. Length rather less than 3 inches. The peculiar form when at rest, is 

 the most remarkable characteristic of this Limax. In this state it assumes a more 

 rounded form than any other slug I am acquainted with, and squeezes itself into so 

 small a compass, that the height is but little exceeded by the length ; for not only are 

 the head and tentacles retracted beneath the shield, but even a portion of the foot also : 

 while behind, the tail is so much drawn in, that that portion of the body assumes a 

 very truncated appearance. This peculiarity is not mentioned by Messrs. Forbes and 

 Hanley, nor is it at all conveyed by their figure. - Alfred Merle Norman ; Pyrton, 

 Oxfordshire, August 15, 1853. 



