PLANTS AND ANIMALS IN WINTER. 



323 



and 



and one, our largest and most common species, a 



brownish red fellow about three inches long 



without eyes, can even draw blood if 



its jaws happen to strike a tender 



place. When handled, it always tries 



to bite, perhaps out of revenge for the 



abominably long Latin name given 



it by its describer. In fact the name 



is longer than the animal itself Sco- 



lo-po-cryp-tops sex-spi-no-sus (Say) be- 

 ing its cognomen 

 in full. With such 

 a handle attached 

 to it, who can 

 blame it for at- 

 tempting to bite? Fig.92-Centipede. 



Yet, to the scientist up on his 

 Latin, each part of the above 

 name bears a definite and tangi- 

 ble meaning. All the myriapods 

 found in the woods and fields 

 feed upon decaying vegetation, 

 such as leaves, sterns of weeds, 

 and rotten wood, and in winter 

 three or four species can usually 

 be found within or beneath every 

 decaying log or stump. One spe- 

 cies with very long legs, Scutigera forceps (Raf.), is 

 often found in damp houses or in cellars. It is some- 

 times called the " wall-sweeper," on account of its 

 rapid ungainly gait, and is even reputed to prey upon 

 cockroaches and other household pests. 



Fig. 9:5 W fill-sweeper. 

 (Two-thirds natural ni/o; 

 also head much enlarged. 

 After Lintner.) 



