on some British Millipedes. 289 



This space is then plastered from the inside with liquid 

 excrement by means of the everted rectum, the animal mean- 

 while having to assume some very uncomfortable positions 

 during the process. On emerging from the recess the female 

 pushes its way into a position astride the open top and lays 

 its eggs. The subsequent closing of the hole in the top was 

 not observed, but examination of the completed nest showed 

 that it was made rather loosely from bits of cemented earth. 

 The females observed paid no further attention to the nest. 

 The method described above is employed by all three 

 Julids, and was most easily made out in the case of the 

 large J. sabulosus building against the bottom of a glass 

 vessel. 



The account here given is unfortunately incomplete for the 

 British Millipedes, because the Chordeumidse are quite 

 unrepresented, but owing to the ravages of white moulds and 

 minute Mermithidse, the writer has never succeeded in keeping 

 either Craspedosoma or Atractosoma alive in captivity long 

 enough to cover the breeding-period. 



Moulting. 



The procedure during moulting is so closely related to that 

 of nest-building that it may well be considered here. 



With regard to Glomeris, I agree with Hennings, in oppo- 

 sition to Verhoeff and vom Rath, that the animal seeks no 

 special protection during moulting, but does it in some loose 

 earth or on the surface under the moss or dead leaves, In 

 spite, however, of Hennings's assertion to the contrary, the 

 moulted G. limbata is most certainly pale at first, but may 

 remain in the old case long enough to develop the dark tint 

 of the normal animal. 



The case of the Julids and Polydesmids is very different, 

 and in both the moulting animal secretes itself in a recess 

 identical in its mode of construction with the nest built by 

 the female Julus for its eggs, i. e. it is a dome-shaped recess 

 plastered from within. In it the animal lies for some time 

 after the moulting in a perfectly motionless and helpless 

 condition, scarcely responding even to the prick of a pin. 



These observations place the nest of Julus on a plane with 

 the moulting recesses of both Julus and Polydesmus, while 

 raising the Polydesmid nest to a plane altogether superior, 

 demanding a faculty not possessed by the Julids nor by the 

 males of its own species. 



The reason for the exceeding care taken to guard the eggs 

 and the helpless animal during moulting is suggested by 



