5lo THE CENTIPEDE. 



was highly diverted in observing one of them over* 

 come by a vast number of ants, that attacked it in, 

 conjunction, and, after seizing it by all its legs, bore 

 it along as workmen would have done a large piece 

 of timber*. Its poison is not more injurious than 

 that of the scorpion, and very seldom proves fatal to 

 the larger animals. 



Sir George Staunton says that such was the 

 horror excited in the minds of some of lord Ma- 

 cartney's train by the sight of these creatures in 

 China, that many thought them alone a sufficient 

 objection to the country. 



They have eight very small eyes, four on each 

 side of the head, near the antennse. The number of 

 segments of the body increase with their age, so, 

 that from this circumstance it is sometimes difficult 

 to ascertain the species f . 



* St. Pierre's Voyage to the Isle of France. 

 t Donovan's Insects of China. 



