62 Second Report on Economic Zoology. 
weeks to develop, the young being about one-twelfth of an inch long. 
Some that I kept reached the adult state in about two months, but 
they more often take much longer to reach maturity. These slugs 
live many years. The ova have great resistive powers as regards 
temperature and drought. Directly cold dry weather comes, they 
shrivel up and appear spoilt; but with moisture they are again 
distended. In this way they may he dried time after time for days 
and yet the ova will retain their vitality. Spring and autumn are 
the seasons when they appear most numerous. They attack cabbage, 
rape, wheat, clover, lettuce, turnips, and most vegetation. They 
eat the young turnips off just above the ground. In the winter 
months this slug may he found in large numbers under stones, 
decaying logs, and rubbish, in a semi-torpid condition. 
Another very destructive species is L. mctximus, L., the Black- 
striped Slug, the largest of its kind ; it often reaches a length 
of seven inches. Although not very prolific it does much harm. It 
is very inactive, and exudes a thick gummy iridescent slime. The 
ova are deposited in little clusters, agglutinated by mucus, during 
the autumn, and in about four weeks they give rise to young snails. 
The young at once commence to devour the nearest vegetation. This 
species will live for some years ; one I kept for five years continued 
to grow all the time. Its shell is somewhat rectangular, elongated 
and convex above, crystalline and glossy, with distinct lines of 
growth. The body is slender, variable in colour. Some are black ; 
others yellowish-grey and spotted with black and white ; numerous 
tubercles cover the skin ; tentacles long and yellowish-brown ; hack 
very much rounded ; foot edged with white. Slime iridescent when 
dry, white when fresh. 
There are other slugs less destructive in their habits, but the 
above-mentioned are the most noteworthy pests to the farmer and 
gardener. 
Methods of Destroying Slugs and Snails. — Economically, 
the most important points in the natural history of slugs and snails 
are, first, that they chiefly live and flourish in damp places; 
drainage, therefore, must have a good effect in lessening their 
numbers. In cases where this has been properly carried out, success 
has attended the experiments. Secondly, it should be noted that 
slugs have the power of expelling a great quantity of slime, which 
would naturally take up any poison in the form of powder that may 
he laid down in their way; and although they have the power to 
crawl as it were out of this slimy covering, and so leave the poison 
behind them, they cannot long continue to supply this mucous 
