PACKARD.] FLATTENED MILLIPEDE. 759 



The Flattened Millepede, Polydesmua canaclcnsis Newport. — "Eating the roots 

 of plants and other tender vegetations, and probably causing the anbury (club-root) 

 disease in cabbages; small, slender, white and brown worms, from one to tive-tenths 

 of an inch long, llattened upon tlio back, and with numerous small legs appearing like 

 a fringe along each side of the body; crawl- 

 ing e%-erywhere over the damp surface of 

 the ground by night, and withdrawing 

 into the crevices under chips, stones, and 

 similar situations during the day-time." — 

 (Fitch.) Fig. 30.— Many-lined Thousand-legs. 



Altliougb the myriapods are in general harmless, feeding either as in 

 the case of the centipedes on other insects, or as in the millepedes on 

 decaying vegetables or animal matter, one species of millepede {luUis 

 multistriatus) injures the roots of the strawberry in Illinois, and either 

 this or another species, it is not known which, eats the bulbs of the 

 carnation pink, according to a writer in the American Agriculturist. As 

 it has been generally thought that the millipedes are harmless, feeding 

 on dead and decaying animal and vegetable matter, I insert the state- 

 ment of this writer, who lives at Montreal, Canada : ^' I planted out last 

 spring a good-sized bed of carnations ; two-thirds of them were cut 

 down in about a fortnight, and I could trace it to nothing else than these 

 worms, with which I found the bed to be infested. 1 removed the bal- 

 ance to another part of the garden, and saved them. I then examined 

 some of the lily-bulbs in the next bed and fonnd some of the living 

 bulbs partly eaten, with the worms in them. I have destroyed large 

 quantities this autumn, by slicing apples and turnips and laying them 

 on the infested beds, the worms collecting under them in masses, which 

 were removed and burned." 



It is generally stated in systematic works on entomology that the 

 millepedes feed on decaying vegetable or animal substances,* but there 

 are some exceptions to this rule, which 1 will give. 



Curtis in his "Farm Insects" tells that lulus londinensis " infests the 

 roots of wheat in Surrey," while of lulus lat-estriatus Curtis, "thousands 

 were infesting a garden at Nantwich." Of another species, lulus jnlosus, 

 he remarks: "I have found it more than once infesting the roots of 

 cabbages in gardens in March." A species of another genus, Polydcsmus 

 complanatus Linn., is, he says, "reported to be by far the most destruc- 

 tive species. In April, considerable numbers of the smaller ones were 

 detected eating the roots of wheat, and in the spring and autumn 

 they were injuring the roots of onions and pansies. They propagate 

 rapidly when the earth is undisturbed; and specimens measuring three- 

 quarters of an inch have been found under garden-pots at the roots of 

 anemonies." The iuli, or snake-millepedes, Curtis adds, " seem to be 

 both carnivorous and herbivorous, for they have been detected feeding 

 upon small snails, as well as upon the pupa of a fly ; and they are be- 

 lieved to live also upon larvte, acari, earth-worms, etc.; and there is 

 such abundant evidence of their destroying the roots of many vegetables, 

 being found clustered together in multitudes at the roots of corn, pota- 

 toes, turnips, cabbages, etc., that there can be little doubt of their doing 

 great mischief to many crops of the gardener, and apparently to the 

 farmer also. In order to confirm this generally received oinnion, which 

 appeared formerly to rest upon doubtful evidence, I shall enumerate the 

 different proofs which have come to my own knowledge. A garden at 

 Ledbury, Herefordshire, was infested by lulus indchellus, which congre- 

 gated in masses at the roots of the Brassica tribe. On pulling up some 



*Curtis says that lulua gattatus of Fabricins has been observed feeding on a small 

 Melix. 



