A HISTORY OF SURREY 



MYRIAPODA 



The sixteen species of myriapods here recorded from Surrey were 

 for the most part captured in three localities, namely at Kew Gardens 

 by Mr. Nicholson, at Weybridge by Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, and at 

 Kingston-on-Thames by Mr. Lucas. They may be taken as representa- 

 tive of the commonest forms of the county, and with one exception are 

 widely distributed throughout England. That the list might be doubled 

 with a little diligent search scarcely admits of a doubt. In addition to 

 the species mentioned below, various tropical forms have been introduced 

 into Kew Gardens in connection with the importation of exotic plants, 

 and have been collected by Mr. Nicholson and sent to the British 

 Museum. The most noticeable of these are three species of centipedes : 

 Scolopendra morsicans, Linn., S. subspinipes, Leach, Mecistocephalus puncti- 

 frons, Newp., and the following millipedes : Ortbomorpha kelaarti, Hum- 

 bert from Ceylon, Trigoniulus go?si, Porat, and an undetermined species 

 of Spirobolellus. There is no satisfactory evidence that these species 

 breed in the conservatories. Ortbomorpba gracilis^ on the other hand, 

 which is mentioned in the subjoined list, is of such frequent occurrence 

 in this and other hothouses and breeds with such freedom that it may 

 be regarded as semi-acclimatized. The interest of these importations 

 lies in the evidence they supply that the species owe their present wide 

 distribution in the tropics to human and not to natural agencies. 



CHILOPODA 



Centipedes 



Short bodied, swift running centipedes furnished with eyes and only fifteen pairs of legs 



I . Lithobius forficatus, Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. at present known to the British and Channel 



10, p. 638 (1758). Islands, may be distinguished from the more 



e familiar brown form L.forficatus by its larger 



head, longer legs, variegated colouring, etc. 



The common brown large sized species The colouring is protective, the mottled 



met with everywhere under stones in gardens patt ern of the body and legs harmonizing 



and backyards as well as in fields and woods. closely with the varied tints ^j i ights and 



2. Lithobius variegatus, Leach. Zool. Misc. shades of the stones to the underside of which 



iii p 4.0 (1817) these centipedes cling, frequently remaining 



for some time motionless after discovery like 

 Weybridge, Kingston-on-Thames. most p rocr yp tica n y co l ou red animals. Unlike 



This species, which is of peculiar interest L. forficatus this species is not found in the 

 on account of its being confined so far as is neighbourhood of human habitations. 



CRYPTOPID^E 



Eyeless centipedes of medium length and thickness, possessing twenty-one pairs of short 

 legs, and though somewhat intermediate in form between the Lithobiidse and Geophilidae 

 resembling the latter rather than the former in their slow serpentine movements. 



3. Cryptops hortensis, Leach. Tr. Linn. Soc. 4. Cryptops anomo/ans, Newport. Ann. Mag. 



Lond. xi. p. 384 (1815). Nat. Hist. xiii. p. 100. 



Kew. Kew. 



The common species of the genus measur- Two examples of this species have been 

 ing about 20 mm. or less in length. found in Kew Gardens by Mr. Nicholson. 



176 



