1905.] 



Slugs and Snails. 



597 



The following are the most important destructive British 

 slugs : — 



(i) The Grey Field Slug (Lirnax agrestis. Linn.). 

 This is by far the most injurious species, and is accountable 

 for an enormous amount of damage. It may be found not only 

 in nearly every garden and field in this country and in Europe, 

 but also in Siberia, Algeria, and Madeira. It is one of the 



Fig. 2. — Grey Field Slugs {x) feeding upon Runner Bean/ 



most prolific of its race, a single specimen being capable of 

 laying as many as 500 eggs during the year. As a rule they 

 deposit them in small batches of from six to fifteen, but separate 

 from one another. The breeding season is from May into 

 November. During the whole of this period the eggs may be 

 found either in the ground, under stones, &c., or amongst moss. 

 The ova take three or four weeks to develop. Moisture is 



