202 27ie Scottish Naturalist. 



quick in getting out of sight, while others drop to the ground 

 at the slightest touch. First capture any of the quick-running 

 centipedes, Lit/iobii, &c, which are visible; these are generally 

 to be found in pairs. Then look carefully for any millipedes ; 

 those which roll themselves into a pill-like ball should be secured 

 first, then any large Juhis or Polydermus ; small specimens are 

 less liable to drop, and may be picked up more leisurely. The 

 long narrow centipedes with many legs (Geofihili), though rather 

 hard to see when in a hole, seldom escape ; for though they 

 wriggle a great deal they make little progress, wasting their 

 energies in knotting themselves in the most curious manner. 

 These latter, and all millipedes, are more or less gregarious in 

 their habits. The peculiar odour given out by Jitlus generally 

 enables the collector to know where to expect many specimens. 



A special look-out should be kept for specimens with eggs, 

 or pairing, and for those which have just changed their skin, 

 and are therefore particularly valuable for anatomical purposes. 

 Such specimens should, where possible, be enclosed separately 

 in a tube or pill-box, and the circumstances connected with them 

 noted down. 



Shady and damp localities are the best for myriapoda ; both 

 great dryness and great wetness being fatal. 



On reaching home the specimens must be transferred to bottles 

 containing fairly strong spirit (70 per cent is perhaps the most use- 

 ful). It is as well to do this soon, as centipedes die and shrivel up 

 very quickly; the calcareous covering of the millipedes enables 

 them to live longer. I find it most convenient to open my col- 

 lecting bottles over saucers containing boiling or very hot water, 

 into which the creatures are dropped. This saves trouble, as it 

 kills them instantaneously, and so any sorting of the specimens 

 is rendered easy, and the chances of the animals escaping about 

 the room are greatly diminished. It also has an additional ad- 

 vantage : many myriapoda, especially Jul us, give off a pungent 

 liquid when annoyed ; this liquid stains the fluid they are im- 

 mersed in, and by killing them in hot water before transferring 

 them to spirit a great deal of this is got rid off. 



There is no need to go into details as to the preservation of 

 the animals for the cabinet — each will adopt his own plan for 

 himself. I hope, however, that these remarks may be of some 

 use, and may induce a few collectors, even if they do not form 

 a collection for themselves, to secure a few specimens for those 

 who do. I myself shall be glad to receive specimens from any 



