314 ARTICULATA. INSECTA. 



The Centipedes are much better known, and of- 

 tener seen : they have a large flattened body, with 

 many joints, usually hard and polished ; the hindmost 

 feet are usually long, and directed backwards.* They 

 crawl with great swiftness, pursuing their insect prey 

 over the ground, but generally avoid the light. Se- 

 veral small species are common in our gardens, but 

 in hot climates they grow to a great size, and are 

 much dreaded. The great Centipede of the West 

 Indies (S. Gigas) is more than a foot long, and very 

 venomous : the second pair of feet terminates in a 

 strong claw, which is pierced at the point like a Ser- 

 pent's fang, and emits a poisonous fluid into the 

 wound which it makes : the bite of this species, 

 though rarely fatal, is more powerful than the sting 

 of the Scorpion. Some of the Centipedes, as S. 

 Electrica, a British species, are luminous. 



* For a figure of this genus, see p. 305. 



