68o THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



in shape and appearance that they might 

 easily be mistaken for them, and they exhibit 

 the same habit of rolling themselves up into 

 a ball. 



A curious genus, generally placed in a 

 distinct class by itself, includes a few species 

 which may be called SLIMY MILLIPEDES. 

 The species are found in widely separated 

 parts of the world, chiefly in the most southern 

 regions, such as South America, South Africa, 

 Australia, and New Zealand, though one or 

 two are known from Ceylon and the West 

 Indies. They resemble slimy caterpillars, with 

 conspicuous antennae, and from thirteen to 

 forty pairs of legs. The body is not dis- 

 tinctly divided into segments, and it exudes 

 a very viscous slime, which acts like bird-lime 

 in capturing the small insects which form at 

 least a part of the food of these creatures, but 

 which will not adhere to their own bodies. 

 These creatures are found among decaying 

 vegetable matter. 



ECONOMIC STATUS OF INSECTS 



, 



fh,. bj W. P. >W, F.Z.S.] [**"'' f"* 



GIANT MILLIPEDE 



Shows the absence of jaws, -which distinguishes these creatures from the 

 predatory centifedet 



A careful inquiry into the injurious and 1 

 the beneficent work of insects leaves us in 

 doubt as to whether the sum total of one over- 

 balances the other or not. We find that 

 insects are injurious in many ways: As 

 destroyers of valuable plants ; as destroyers of stored food, clothing, dwellings, books, etc. ; 

 injuring useful animals, annoying man, and carrying disease. And there are many ways in 

 which insects are a benefit : As destroyers of injurious insects ; as destroyers of noxious plants ; 

 as pollenisers of plants ; as scavengers ; as makers of soil ; and as food (for man and beast), 

 clothing, and use in the arts. 



Some idea of the destructiveness of an insect pest can be gained from the fact that the 

 State of Massachusetts has expended over a million dollars in a not particularly successful 

 attempt to extirpate the Gypsy moth in a few of its Eastern counties. On the other hand, 

 we may balance to the insect's account the 36,000,000 pounds which the industrious silkworm 

 produced last year. 



