The Habits of Testacella

Abstract

UNTIL reading Mr. Latter's letter in this week's NATURE I was unaware that it was not a matter of common knowledge that Testacella appears on the surface during heavy rains. My garden is liable to be flooded, as also, unhappily, is much of this neighbourhood, in spring and late autumn. After the water has stood for a few days the ground is covered by hundreds of these slugs, which leave their burrows and try to find dry quarters. They can survive, however, a week's immersion. In June, 1903, when much of the Thames valley was flooded, I collected a number of these slugs for various malacological friends. In normal circumstances they live at such a depth as never to be unearthed during garden operations.