280 



VENOMS 



(c) Myriopods. 



It has been shown by PhisaHx and Bertrand that certain 

 species of Myriopods, inckiding those of the genus Juhis (Order 

 Chilognatha , e.g., Julus teiTestris) , secrete throughout the entire 

 extent of their body a volatile venom, which these authors com- 

 pared to quinone. 



The species of the genus Scolopendra (Order Chilopoda ; Scolo- 

 pendra cingulata, found in the South of France, Spain and Italy ; 

 S. gigantea and other forms, common in Africa, India, Indo- 



China and Equa- 

 torial America), 

 have the second 

 pair of post max- 

 illary appendages 

 transformed into 

 formidable poison- 

 claws, with which 

 they can inflict bites which are very painful to human beings. 



The tropical species may attain a length of 10 or even 15 cm. 

 Their bodies are composed of 21 segments, each provided with a 

 pair of jointed legs. They live in shady places, such as woods, 

 hidden under stones, dead leaves, or the bark of old trees. 

 They feed upon small insects, spiders, and larvae, which they 

 kill with their venom. The latter is secreted by a racemose 

 gland situated at the base of the poison-claws ; it escapes by a 

 duct which opens at the apex. 



This venom, the physiological study of which was commenced 

 by Dubosq, is an acid, opalescent liquid, hardly miscible with water. 

 More complete experiments on this subject have been made by 

 A. Briot,^ who prepared a solution by sectioning the labium and 

 poison-claws, and crushing the whole in physiological salt solution. 

 When injected intravenously into rabbits, it produces immediate 



Fig. 98. — Scolopendra viorsltans (S. Europe). 

 (After Glaus.) 



Comities renclus de la Societc tie Biologic, November 15, 1904. 



