MYRIAPODA. '^45 



ORDER I. 



MYRIAPODA(l). 



The Myriapoda commonly called Centipedes, are the only 

 animals of this class which have more than six feet in their per- 

 fect state, and whose abdomen is not distinct from the trunk. 

 Their body, destitute of wings, is composed of a (usually) nu- 

 merous suite of annulij most commonly equal, each of which, 

 a few of the first excepted, bears two pairs of feet mostly ter- 

 minated by a single hook; these annuli are either entire or 

 divided into two demi-segments, each bearing a pair of those 

 organs, and one of them only exhibiting two stigmata(2). 



The Myriapoda in general resemble little Serpents or Ne- 

 reides, their feet being closely approximated to each other 

 throughout the whole extent of the body. The form of these 

 organs even extends to the parts of the mouth. The mandi- 

 bles are bi-articulated and immediately followed by a quadrifid 

 piece in the form of a lip with articulated divisions, resem- 

 bling little feet, which, from its position, corresponds to the 

 ligula of the Crustacea ; next come two pairs of little feet, the 

 second of which, in several, resemble large hooks, that appear 

 to replace the four jaws of the last mentioned animals, or the 

 two jaws as well as the lower lip of Insects : they are a sort 

 of buccal feet. The antennae, two in number, are short, some- 

 what thicker towards the extremity, or nearly filiform and 

 composed of seven joints in some ; in others they are numer- 

 ous and setaceous. Their visual organs are usually composed 

 of a union of ocelli, and if in others they present a cornea 



(1) The Mitosata, Fab. 



(2) The annuU of the body of Insects are usually provided with two stigmata. 

 If those of the Scolopendrae, particularly the larger species, those which have 

 twenty-one pairs of feet, be thus considered, it will be found that they are alter- 

 nately destitute of, and provided with, two stigmata, and that thus, compared with 

 these latter animals, they are in fact but semi-annuli- Each complete segment will 

 then have two pairs of feet, one of which is supernumerary, since, in other Insects, 

 the annuli furnished with feet have but two. 



