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Art. XXXVI.—Description of some new Slugs.
[Read before the Otago Institute, 26th November, 1878.]
Limax Molestus.
Mantle short and flatly rounded behind, smooth and sub-concentrically wrinkled when alive, rugose and not wrinkled in spirit. Pulmonary opening in the posterior third of the mantle; back rounded behind the mantle, pointed and keeled posteriorly; body with irregular longitudinal rib-like protuberances; colour variable—greyish or reddish-brown variously marbled with dusky. Tentacles of the same colour as the back; foot yellowish-white. Length, about 1 ½ inches. Shell slightly concave. A rather common variety is quite black.
Dunedin, Wellington, etc. Abundant everywhere.
The radula has 33 rows of rachis teeth, and about 20 on each side of lateral teeth.
This species is closely allied to L. agrestis of Europe, but is larger, the keel is not oblique, the pulmonary opening is placed more posteriorly, and the ovo-testis is more elongated. In Dr. Knight's paper on the Bitentaculate Slug of New Zealand (Trans. Lin. Soc. XXII., p. 381) figures 8, 11, 12, and 15 belong to this species.
Milax Emarginatus.
Mantle slightly shagreened, short and emarginate behind; pulmonary opening a little behind the centre. A depressed line runs from this opening forward over the back, and backward again to a point on the left side opposite the pulmonary opening. Back sharply keeled up to the mantle; body smooth, with depressed lines radiating from the mantle. Colour dark grey or olive above; foot and lower sides of the body yellowish-white. Length 1 inch. Shell small, nearly flat; length .08 inch.
Dunedin; common in gardens, etc.
Distinguished from M. antipodarum by the shape of the mantle and smooth body. I have M. antipodarum from Wellington. The radula has 27 rows of rachis teeth, and about 25 on each side of lateral teeth. The transverse rows are curved, the convexity being in the direction of the apices of the teeth.
Arion Incommodus.
Mantle rugose, short and rounded behind; pulmonary opening in front of the middle; back rounded, not pointed posteriorly; colour dark leadgrey, a lateral stripe on the mantle, and a longitudinal band on each side, black; sometimes the whole upper part of the body greyish black; foot yellow. Length 1 inch; shell rudimentary.
Dunedin. Not uncommon in gardens, etc.
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This species has the form of Geomalcus, but the genital organs open below the pulmonary opening; the ovotestis is small and globular, the albumen gland very large; the penis is long, and, when retracted, lies across the renal organ; the spermatheca is large and flask-shaped; there is no prostate gland, and the retractor of the penis is attached to its anterior end.
The retractor muscles of the tentacles are two—one on each side, and the retractor of the buccal mass is quite distinct from them, and originates much further back, on the right side. The teeth are arranged in slightly arched transverse rows; they are 32.1.32 on each row. The central tooth has a cusp on each side; the other rachis-teeth a cusp only on the outer side; the laterals decrease in size outwards. The laterals change gradually into the rachis-teeth, but there are about 10 rachis and 22 lateral teeth on each side.
Janella Papillata.
Like J. bitentaculata, but with small papillæ on the back, between the oblique grooves.
Wellington and Dunedin. On trees.
Konophora, gen. nov.
Like Janella, but the eye peduncles short and conical.
Konophora Marmorea.
Body smooth, rounded above, scarcely distinct from the foot; tail rounded; back with a central groove with lateral branches sloping obliquely backward; colour blackish, marbled with pale brown on the back; an indistinct black lateral line; region round the pulmonary opening yellowish. Length, 1 inch.
Dunedin. In the bush.
I have only seen a single specimen, which was collected by Mr. F. J. Browne, Articulator to the Museum.
[Note.—Both Limax cinereus and L. flavus have been introduced into Dunedin, but at present they are rare.]