CHAPTER II 



MYEIAPODA 



INTRODUCTION HABITS CLASSIFICATION STRUCTURE CHILO- 



GXATHA CHILOPODA SCHIZOTARSIA SYMPHYLA PAUR- 



OPODA EMBRYOLOGY PALAEONTOLOGY. 



TRACHEATA with separated head and numerous, fairly similar 

 segments. They have one pair of antennae, two or three pairs 

 of mouth appendages, and numerous pairs of legs. 



The Myriapoda are a class of animals which are widely 

 distributed, and are represented in almost every part of the 

 globe. Heat and cold alike seem to offer favourable conditions 

 for their existence, and they flourish both in the most fertile 

 and the most barren countries. 



They have not attracted much notice until comparatively 

 recent times. Compared with Insects they have been but little 

 known. The reason of this is not hard to find. The Myriapods 

 do not exercise so much direct influence on human affairs as 

 do some other classes of animals ; for instance, Insects. They 

 include no species which is of direct use to man, like the silk- 

 worm or the cochineal insect, and they are of no use to him as 

 food. It is true that they are injurious to his crops. For instance, 

 the species of Millepede known as the " wire worm " l is extremely 

 harmful ; but this has only attracted much notice in modern 

 times, when land is of more value than formerly, and agricul- 

 ture is pursued in a more scientific manner, and the constant 

 endeavour to get the utmost amount of crop from the soil has 

 caused a minute investigation into the various species of 

 animals which are noxious to the growing crop. The species of 

 1 Not to be confused with the larva of Elater lineatus, also knowu as " wire-worm." 



