634 CHILOPODA. 



The Class is divided into two orders": I. CHILOPODA ; II. Cm- 



LOGNATHA. 



In both orders, the first segment, or head, is furnished with nu- 

 merous eyes on each side, and also with a pair of jointed anten- 

 nae ; the mouth is fitted for mastication, being provided with a 

 pair of powerful cutting jaws ; in the centipede and its allies it 

 has also a pair of appendages formed by a metamorphosis of 

 the legs of the first segment of the body. These are adapted 

 not only to hold and tear its prey, but to convey poison into the 

 wounds thus made, the poison being ejected through a minute 

 aperture near their points, (Carpenter.) The covering of these 

 animals is firm and of a horny character. The number of feet 

 varies from twelve pair to upwards of three hundred. 



The muscular apparatus consists of a series of distinct mus- 

 cles for moving the segments and legs. When the young is 

 hatched, it consists of but few segments, but these increase in 

 number until it is fully grown, by the sub-division of the last 

 segment but one. The first number of segments is eight or nine ; 

 but they continue to increase until the number is sixty or seventy. 

 The larva has no legs, these organs not appearing until after the 

 first exuviation of the skin. During their growth, the Myria- 

 poda have considerable power to reproduce lost portions of their 

 body, such as the legs and antennae, but this power is lost when 

 their development ceases. The bite of these animals is said to 

 be more injurious than that of scorpions, but not often fatal. 

 Ammonia is the best remedy. 



FIEST ORDER. CHILOPODA, (Gr. #erk>?, cheilos, lip ; novg, pous, 

 a foot ; i. e., lip formed from foot.) 



CENTIPEDES. 



This Order contains sixteen genera, including about one hund- 

 red species, and arranged into four families. The name Scolo- 

 pendrida, was formerly given to it, but is now appropriated to one 

 of the families of which the leading genus is Scolopendra. 



The CENTIPEDE, Scolopendra, (Gr. centipede) has four pair of 

 eyes, a flattened body containing, with the head, twenty-two seg- 

 ments, and one pair of legs to each segment. Under the second 

 lip, which is formed by the second pair of dilated feet, and ter- 

 minates in a sharp hook, is an opening through which a poison- 

 ous fluid is thrown out. These animals are nocturnal ; and in 

 the West India Islands and the hot parts of this continent, they 

 are formidable pests. They often find their way into beds, in 

 the most cleanly houses. Their bite is extremely painful when 



