126 DIRECT INJURIES CAUSED BY INSECTS. 



other species of Galeodes is described by Professor Lich- 

 tenstein, which, from the trivial name that he has given 

 it (Jatalis), may be supposed to be as venomous as the 

 former ^. 



The bite of one of the centipedes {Scolopetidra morsi- 

 tafis) — the under-jaws, or rather arms, of which are armed 

 with a strong claw, furnished like the sting of the scor- 

 pion with an orifice, visible under a common lens^, from 

 which poison issues — is less tremendous than that of the 

 animal last mentioned : but though not mortal, its wounds 

 are more painful than those produced by the sting of the 

 scorpion ; and as these animals creep every where, even 

 into beds, they must be very annoying in warm climates 

 whei'e they abound. Dr. Martin Lister, in his Travels, 

 has given us a figure of an insect related to this genus, 

 that he saw in Plumier's collection, which appears to have 

 been eighteen inches in length, and three quarters of an 

 inch in width, having ninety-five legs on each side, the 

 first eight of which are armed with double claws, and 

 two inches of the tail being without legs. It may form 

 a distinct genus, and is probably a native of South Ame- 

 rica. Yet even this monstrous insect is nothing to those 

 at Carthagena, mentioned by Ulloa, (if indeed we may 

 credit his account, or if his translator has not mistaken 

 his meaning,) which sometimes exceeded a yard in length 

 and five inches in breadth ! The bite of this gigantic 

 serpent-like creature, he tells us, is mortal, as well it 

 may, if a timely remedy be not applied. From its cy- 

 lindrical form it should be a Julus*^. 



In this catalogue of noxious insects I must not omit 



<» CataL Ham. 1797. 151-105. " Plate VII. Fig. 13. a". 



' UUoa's Voyage, i. 61. 



