672 CHILOPODA. 



footed insects, and the orifices are placed at the end of the 

 bod3^ The ovary is a long single tube, which opens in the last 

 ring of the body ; while in the lower suborder, Chilognatha, 

 there is only a single long ovarian tube, provided with two 

 short oviducts which open on the third segment of the body 

 from the head. The male organs in the Chilopods are much 

 more complicated than in the other Myriopods, and the two or 

 three, or even the single testicular tube, open on the end of 

 the body, while in the Chilognaths, such as Julus, there are 

 two testes which lead out by a vas deferens to the orifice situ- 

 ated on the third thoracic ring. The order is divided into two 

 suborders, i. e. , the Chilopoda and Chilognatha of Latreille. 



CHILOPODA. 



This group is characterized by each ring being simple and 

 not divided into subsegments, and bearing but a single pair of 

 feet, while the head is divided into two regions, one placed 

 before the mouth, the other behind the mouth. The sexual 

 outlet is situated at the end of the body. 



This suborder is the highest, as it contains those M^a-iopods 

 which have the fewest segments to the bod}'*, thus approaching 

 the six-footed insects and spiders. Thej^ are active, rapacious 

 in their habits, and by the division of the head into the two 

 regions, movable on each other, the}^ can almost emulate the 

 insects in their powers of seizing their prey. As stated bj'^ 

 Professor "Wood, their highly organized muscular and nervous 

 sj^stem, the compactness of their intestinal apparatus, and the 

 length and power of their legs, all betoken habits of great 

 activity ; whilst the formidable nature of their mandibles, and 

 the sharp spines, both lateral and terminal, with which their 

 feet are armed, fit them for predatory warfare. Thus it will 

 be seen that the Chilopods are the more animal, while the 

 Chilognaths are the more vegetative ; this is due to the greater 

 concentration of the body headwards, and the more compact 

 build of the body behind the head. 



* The larvre of this group niaj- have as many as six or eight pairs of legs when 

 they leave the egg. while the young Chilognaths have only three. (Rolleston.) 



