296 Forty-second Report on the State Museum. [154] 



More direct evidence of this insect being a fly-feeder has lately 

 been communicated to me by Professor S. A. Forbes. He had 

 learned from a very intelligent lady teacher of Golconda, 111. (on the 

 Ohio river), that the Cermatia had been very abundant a few years 

 ago, at her house on an island in the river. It had been for some 

 time a constant terror to the household who supposed it to be 

 dangerous and poisonous, but later it became famous among them as 

 a fly-killer, devoting itself entirely to the pursuit of house-flies, of 

 which it was so greedy that it would sometimes hold one, or even 

 two, while it caught a third, and devour each in turn. 



JULUS C^RULEOCrNCTUS BENEATH CaRPETS. 



Mr. W. G. Warren, of Buffalo, N. Y., sends (in April) examjDles of 

 this common myriapod which he had found in the corners and under 



■ '" imTWM'im I room. They were apparently 



Fig. 50.- Thousand-legged worm, Julus confined to the extreme edge of 

 o^KULEociNCTus— enlarged. the carpet, near the walls. They 



had not occurred in any abundance. Ten examples were sent for 

 name. An enlarged figure of it is given above. 



A lady residing at Loudonville, Albany county, N. Y., has also dis- 

 covered the same Julus under similar circumstances. Specimens were 

 sent, in October, with the inquiry if they had any connection with 

 the carpet-beetle, for since she had been troubled with that pest, 

 these had been found quite frequently and usually in association 

 with the beetle. In May of the following year, after the house had 

 been closed during the winter, additional examples were sent me in 

 compliance with request, with the statement that they were all that 

 were found on the opening of the house. The broken pieces indicated 

 about ten specimens. 



No reason is known for the intrusion of these creatures in the 

 localities where they are above reported. If drawn thither for food, 

 the nature of their food under such circumstances is an interesting 

 inquiry. 



Although not belonging to the insects proper, this myriapod is 

 frequently submitted to the entomologist and information of it 

 requested. 



[See notice of "A Severe Attack on Potatoes" by this myriapod in the Report of the 

 Entomologist for the year 1886, p. 131 — 40th St. Mus. Kept.] 



