LITHOBIUS AND ITS ALLIKS 



75 



insects. Lithobins has been observed to spend hours in 

 killing an earthworm, whose juices it sucked as food. 

 Blue-bottle flies also serve it as food while in confinement. 



Lithobius 1 is of world-wide 



distribution, and 



over one hun- 



dred species are 



recognized. Our 



common straw- 



colored, eastern 



species, Litho- 



bius forficatusf 



is found also in 



South America, 



as well as over 



most of Europe. 



It seems to be 



replaced south 



of Virginia by 



another species, 



spinipes. 



Scutigera 3 is 



easily distin- 



guished by its 



J 

 loilg legs ; its 



hind legs, in- 



deed, are longer 



than its trunk. 4 Our common Eastern species (rare 

 of New York City) is about 25 centimetres long, 

 of a light brown color, with stripes on the back. 



FIG. 73. Scutigera. Nat. size. 

 From Wood. 



FIG. 74. - 

 peiiclra. 

 size 

 Leunis. 



- Scolo- 



Nat. 



Fro in 



north 



and is 



It is 



1 Xi'0os, stone ; jSiow. to live. 



3 scutum, shield ; yerere, to bear. 



2 Provided with shears, forfcx. 



4 Fig. 73. 



