THE GIANT CENTIPEDE. 



691 



ON the above illustration is given a reduced figure of the GIANT CENTIPEDE, a crea- 

 ture that well deserves its name, sometimes attaining a foot or rather more in length. 



This truly formidable being is a native of Venezuela, and possesses a pair of such 

 powerful venom-fangs that its bite is nearly, if not quite, as dangerous as that of the viper. 



As an example of the effects of the poisoned wound inflicted by these large centipedes' 

 I may cite a passage from Williamson's valuable work on " Oriental Field Sports " 

 " Centipedes grow to nearly a foot long, and as thick as a man's little finger ; their 

 form is, indeed, flatter, or like tape. When young they are of a clay color, but become 

 darker with age. They bite by means of a pair of strong forceps placed horizontally 

 at their mouth, nearly as large as the hooked thorns on a blackberry bramble, causing 

 much pain and inflammation, and often occasioning fever. Being from their shape so 

 peculiarly capable of secreting themselves, they sometimes occasion very ludicrous 

 accidents. I once saw a friend apply a flute to his mouth to play on it, but scarcely 



GIANT CENTIPEDE.-Sco/openrfra glgas. 



had he begun, when a large centipede fastened to his under lip, causing him to change 

 his note very abruptly. Several have been bitten while smoking their hookahs ; and 

 I was myself once made to smart in putting on my gloves, a centipede having taken 

 possession of one of the fingers. 



A very grave and respectable old gentleman, who was remarkably fond of starting an 

 hypothesis and hunting it to death, and who would rather pay the piper than not have 

 his dance out on all occasions, perceived a large centipede deliberately crawling up 

 an old door at Bethsaron Gardens, near Chororinghee. The veteran assured the com- 

 pany that all venomous animals were in their nature inoffensive, and never wounded 

 but when attacked. Experience having satisfied some present to the contrary, an ar- 

 gument arose, and the old gentleman, with much dignity, asserted that he would prove 

 the validity of his position by placing his finger in the centipede's way. He did so, 

 and received such a bite as occasioned a violent fever, from which a critical abscess 

 under his arm-pit relieved him." 



There are many of these fierce and venomous creatures scattered over the world, 

 causing no small annoyance to the new-comers, who cannot for a long time look with 



