456 



MY GARDEN. 



/^ ^ /T2* 



FIG. 1015. Centipedes. 



CENTIPEDES AND MILLIPEDES, 



We often notice Centipedes and Millipedes, especially about our 

 potatoes and carrots. We have the Thirty-foot Centipede (Lithobius 



forficatus, fig. 1015, No. 2), 

 which has a large head (fig. 

 1015, No. 3) and a powerful 

 pair of jaws ; but I do not 

 remember to have ever seen 

 at my garden the Luminous 

 Centipede (Geophilus longicor- 

 nis, fig. 1015, No. i), which is 

 remarkable at certain times for leaving a train of fire in its track. I 

 have seen this phenomenon in London and in its vicinity, and have 

 caught the creature surrounded by its fire. 



Many Millipedes abound in the garden, but I have not identi- 

 fied all of them. I have borrowed the picture from Curtis ; it shows 

 species which we may expect 

 to find. No. I, fig. 1016, re- 

 presents Julus Londinensis ; 

 it has about 1 60 legs. Nos. 

 2 and 3 represent Blaniulus 

 guttatus, which has about 1 70 

 legs, aiad is about half an 

 inch long. No. 4 represents FIG. 1016. Millipedes. 



Julus terrcstris, or Earth Snake Millipede, No. 5 showing its an- 

 tenna magnified. Nos. 6 and 7 show the Polydesmus complanatus, or 

 Flattened Millipede. I am by no means certain as to the functions 

 these creatures perform in the general scheme of nature, although we 

 see so many of them in the garden. Boisduval states that L. forficatus 

 is a friend to the gardener, but further study is required to make 

 ourselves acquainted with the natural history of these creatures. 

 Koch has given figures of numerous species. 



