THE SCHOOL GAUDEN. 



301 



Millipedes. The Millipedes, which occur in the soil, also 

 possess numerous feet. They are rather darker in colour 

 and are mostly rounded in the body, not flattened. They 

 feed on all kinds of roots, bulbs, and tubers, and may 

 frequently be found within them. They coil themselves up 

 when disturbed. A very destructive millipede, known as 

 Julus pulchellus, is about half an inch long, of a pale 

 pinkish colour, spotted with purple or crimson. It may be 



Fig. 160. A Centipede. 



Fig. 161. Millipedes. The upper one 

 is coiled in the characteristic man- 

 ner of this animal. 



found attacking bulbs or potato tubers. There is one 

 species of flattened millipede (Polydesmus complanatus) 

 which may also be found engaged in* the same kind of 

 destructive work. 



When any of these creatures are observed they should 

 be captured and examined with the help of a lens at first, 

 so that their exact nature may be made out. A comparison 

 of the diagrams (Fig. 160, 161) will show that apart from 



