526 



THE MILLEPEDE. 



MILLEPEDE. Julue temstris (Magnified.) 



breathing apparatus. The real spiracles may be seen on the under sides of the animal, close 

 to the insertion of the feet. Like the preceding creatures, they can roll themselves up, but, 

 on account of the length of their body, they can only assume a spiral form, as is shown by the 

 left-hand figure in the illustration. 



The two figures shown in the 

 accompanying illustration, repre- 

 sent the common MILLEPEDE of 

 the garden. This little creature is 

 very plentiful, and may be found 

 under decaying wood, or below 

 stones. Its movements are very 

 curious. The little delicate feet, 

 looking like white threads proceed- 

 ing from below, move in a regu- 

 larly graduated order, so that, as 

 the creature glides along, a succes- 

 sion of waves seem to pass over its body. On being touched it immediately stops, and coils 

 itself into a spiral form, lying necessarily on its side. 



The development of the Julidse is curious and interesting. In the early part of the spring, 

 the female deposits sixty or seventy eggs in the earth, digging a hole expressly for their 

 reception. Here they lie until they are hatched, which occurs in about three weeks' time, 

 when the young Julidse make their way into the world. They are then without any limbs, 

 and retain the two halves of the egg-shell by means of a filament, which fastens them to the 

 body. After a little while they gain three pairs of feet, and then are able to separate them- 

 selves from the egg-shell. At this period of their existence, they bear a great resemblance to 

 the larvae of some beetles. As they continue to grow, however, the number of segments and 

 limbs increase, so that they gradually lose their resemblance to the beetle larvae, and attain 

 the shape and form of their parents. 



The Spirostreptes cinctdtus is a native of India, and sometimes attains considerable 

 dimensions, reaching a length of nine inches. It is of a rusty red color, in some individuals 

 inclining to yellowish clay, and has a drab ring round the middle of each segment. The legs 

 also have a ring of the same color round the middle of each joint. 



Our last example, the Spirostreptes annuldtipes, is a creature of large size. This is also 

 an Indian species, and somewhat resembles the preceding, except that its colors are much 

 deeper ; there is a narrow black ring round the middle of each segment, and each joint is 

 broadly banded with the same color. There are seventy -five segments in this species, when it 

 has reached full age. 



