88 MYRIAPODA. 



SCOLOPENDRA MORSITANS? 



Plate 50. 



Class. Ametabola, Leach. Myriapocla, Latreille. Aptera p. Liimceys. 



Family. Scolopendrid*. 



Genus. Scolopendra, Linnceus. 



Ch. Sp. Sc. pedibiis utrinque 21, posterioribus spinosis. Long. Corp. 6 iinc. 



Sc. with twenty-one feet on each side, the posterior pair spined. Length of the body 

 6 inches. 



SvN. Scolopendra morsitans, De Geer Ins. vol. 7. t. 4Z. Jig. 1. (in India). Linn.? Syst. 



Nat. 2. 1063. (" Hab. in Indiis"). Fabricius Ent. Syst. 2. p. 390. (" Hab. in 

 Indid orientali.") 



Travellers agree that the temperate parts of Asia would be a terrestrial paradise, 

 were it not for the multitude of troublesome insects and reptiles with which they are in- 

 fested. In a well cultivated country like China, many of these creatures can scarcely 

 find shelter ; but such as harbour in the walls or furniture of human dwellings are as 

 abundant in that, as any other country lying within or near the tropics. Amongst the 

 latter, none produce more terrible effects than the Centipede, whose poison is as veno- 

 mous as that of the scorpion, which is also a native of China. 



Sir G. Staunton mentions a remarkable circumstance that occurred during the em- 

 bassy to China to which he was attached. The ambassador and his suite were accom- 

 modated in a temple near the suburbs of Tong-choo-foo. " In some of the apartments 

 the priests had suffered scorpions and scolopendras to harbour through neglect. These 

 noisome creatures were known only by description to some of the gentlemen in the 

 embassy, who had not visited the southern parts of Europe : the sight of such, for the 

 first time, excited a degree of horror in their minds ; and it seemed to them to be a 

 sufficient objection to the country, that it produced these animals. ' Sir George however 

 adds, that no accident happened in that instance. — The species of Scolopendra he alludes 

 to, is jirobably Morsitans, which is common in many parts of the world, but is particularly 

 found of a frightful size, and in vast abundance, in the two Indies. 



Many authors have described this creature. In the voluminous works of Seba we 

 find several specimens of it from different countries, differing materially in size, and some 

 trifling particulars. The largest of these exceed our figure in magnitude, being near 

 fourteen inches in length : this he calls Millepeda inajor ex nova Hispania. His figure 

 of Millepeda Afrkana is about the size of our Chinese specimen. He has also a third 



