THE CENTIPEDE. 



All the feet supposed to be venomous. 



eyes, four on each side of the head, near the an- 

 tennae. The number of segments of the body 

 increase with their age, so that from this circum- 

 stance it is sometimes difficult to ascertain the 

 species. >!<! 



We are told by Gronovius, that all the feet are 

 venomous; but the most formidable weapons of 

 this creature are the two sharp hooked instru- 

 ments, that are placed under the mouth, with 

 which it destroys its prey. At the extremity of 

 each of these there is a small opening, and from 

 thence extends a tube through which it is sup- 

 posed the centipede emits the poisonous fluid into 

 the wound inflicted by these fangs. In order to 

 ascertain the influence of this poison, Leuwen- 

 hoek placed a large fly within the reach of a cen- 

 tipede, who seized it between a pair of the mid- 

 dle feet, then passed it from one pair to the next, 

 till it was brought under the fangs; which were 

 plunged into its body, and it died instant!}'. St, 

 Pierre says, that, in the Isle of France his dog- 

 was bitten by one of them that was upwards of 

 six inches in length, and that the wound turned 

 to an ulcer, which was three weeks in healing. 

 He was highly diverted in observing one of them 

 overcome by a vast number of ants, that attacked 

 it in conjunction, and, after seizing it by all its 

 legs, bore it along as workmen would have done 

 a large piece of timber. Its poison is not more 

 Injurious than that of the scorpion, and very sel- 

 dom proves fatal to the larger .animals. 



