76 



ZOOLOGY 



very active, and feeds especially on spiders. It looks some- 

 thing like a spider itself when in rapid movement. The 

 Scutigeras are characteristic of the tropics, where they live 

 especially in cellars, crawling up horizontal walls. 



Scolopendra 1 includes longer and stouter myriapods than 

 Lithobius. 2 To this genus belong the poisonous centipedes 

 of tropical countries. Among these is the giant Scolo- 

 pendra of our Southern States, South America, and the 

 West Indies, which reaches a length of 25 centimetres 

 or more. This animal has a poisonous bite, which is 

 fatal to insects and other small animals, and causes pain- 

 ful and even dangerous wounds upon man. The biting 

 apparatus is the first pair of feet, modified to form sharp 

 hooks, and provided with poison-glands, 

 which open near the apex of the claw. Ac- 

 cording to Humboldt, the Indian children of 

 South America tear off the heads of large 

 centipedes and eat the remaining portions. 



Geophilus 8 includes relatively slow-moving 

 species, often attaining great length, having 

 up to two hundred segments to the trunk 

 (Fig. 75). The species are common in 

 Europe and America. They live mostly 

 under stones. There is a European species, 

 Cieophilus electricus, which is phosphorescent, 

 shining in the dark like a glow-fly. 



Julus 4 is very different in appearance from 

 the preceding, for it has a cylindrical body 

 and numerous small legs nearly concealed 

 beneath it. It is commonly known as " galley-worm." 



FIG. 75. Geo- 

 philus mor- 

 dax. Nat. 

 size. Photo. 

 byW.H.C.P. 



<rKo\6Trevdpa, myriapod of Aristotle. 



3 777, the earth ; 0i\^w, to love. 



4 tovXos, centipede. 



