196 THE CENTIPEDE. 



inches : its colour is yellowish brown, the 

 legs and under parts of the body being 

 much paler, the head is armed on each side 

 with a very large carved fang, of the same 

 strong or horny nature as those of the aranea 

 avicularia^ but placed in a different direction, 

 the two fangs meeting horizontally when in 

 action: these fangs are furnished on the 

 inside, near the tip, with an oblong slit, 

 through which, during the act of wounding, 

 an acrimonious or poisonous fluid is dis- 

 charged; the eyes are several in number, 

 on each side of the head, and are placed in 

 a small oval groupe ; the legs are twenty on 

 each side of the body, and the tail is termi- 

 nated by a pair of processes, which per- 

 fectly resemble the rest of the legs, except 

 that they are larger, and have the first joints 

 strongly spined, or muricated on the inside. 

 These horrible insects are said to be chiefly 

 found in woods, but, like the small Euro- 

 pean species, they are occasionally seen in 

 houses, and are said to be so common in 

 some particular districts, that the inhabitants 

 are obliged to place the feet of their beds in 

 vessels of water, in order to prevent their 

 attacks during the night. 



