230 MYR1APODA. 



quences, which in hot climates not unfrequently result from the 

 bite of one of these animals, must no doubt be attributed. 



(275.) In their internal anatomy the Scolopendrida resemble 

 insects even more nearly than the Julus. The alimentary canal is 

 straight and intestiniform, but of much smaller diameter than that of 

 the vegetable-eating Myriapoda. It presents an oesophagus, and a 

 small muscular gizzard ; but there is no perceptible division into 

 stomach and intestine. The respiratory and circulating sys- 

 tems, as far as they are understood, seem to correspond with 

 what we shall afterwards find to exist in the larva of insects. In 

 the position and arrangement of the sexual organs the Scolopen- 

 dridse complete the transition between the Annelidans and insects, 

 properly so called ; for, while in Julus we have found them still 

 occupying the anterior part of the body as in the former class, in 

 the Scolopendra they are removed to the tail. The structure of 

 the male organs is remarkable. The testes are seven in number, 

 and, on opening the posterior segments of the animal, they are 

 found closely packed in parallel lines : each testis is composed of 

 two fusiform parts precisely similar to each other, and from both 

 ends of every one of these, which is hollow, arises a narrow duct, 

 so that there are fourteen pairs of ducts arising from the fourteen 

 secreting organs. The ducts all end in a common canal, which 

 gradually becomes enlarged and tortuous, and terminates by a 

 distinct aperture in the vicinity of the anus. Just prior to its ter- 

 mination the common ejaculatory duct communicates with five 

 accessory glands, four of which are intimately united until 

 unravelled, while the fifth is a simple caecum of considerable 

 length.* 



The ovarian system of the female Scolopendra is a single tube, 

 apparently without secondary ramifications. 



Some Scolopendrse (S. phosphorea) emit in the dark a strong 

 phosphorescent light ; and one species (S. electrica) is able to 

 give a powerful electrical shock to the hand of the person who in- 

 advertently seizes it. 



* Vide Cyclop, of Anat. and Phys. art. Generation, organs of. Comp. Anat. 



