672 CHILOPODA. 



footed insects, and the orifices are placed at the end of the 

 body. The ovary is a long single tube, which opens in the last 

 ring of the body ; while in the lower suborder, Chilognatha, 

 there is only a single long ovarian tube, provided with two 

 short oviducts which open on the iliird segment of the body 

 from the head. The male organs in the Chilopods are much 

 more complicated than in the other Myriapods, and the two or 

 three, or even the single, testicular tube, open on the end of 

 the body, while in the Chilognaths, such as Julus, there are 

 two testes which lead out by a vas deferens to the orifice situ- 

 ated on the third thoracic ring. The order is divided into two 

 suborders, t. e. , the Chilopoda and Chilognatha of Latreille. 



CHILOPODA. 



This group is characterized by each ring being simple arid 

 not divided into subsegments, and bearing but a single pair of 

 feet, while the head is divided into two regions, one placed 

 before the mouth, the other behind the mouth. The sexual 

 outlet is situated at the end of the body. 



This suborder is the highest, as it contains those M3"riapods 

 which have the fewest segments to the body, thus approaching 

 the six-footed insects and spiders. The}^ are active, rapacious 

 in their habits, and by the division of the head into the two 

 regions, movable on each other, they can almost emulate the 

 insects in their powers of seizing their prey. As stated by 

 Professor Wood*, their highly organized muscular and nervous 

 system, the compactness of their intestinal apparatus, and the 

 length and poAver of their legs, all betoken habits of great 

 activity ; Avhilst the formidable nature of their mandibles, and 

 the sharp spines, both lateral and terminal, with which their 

 feet are armed, fit them for predatory warfare. Thus it will 

 be seen that the Chilopods are the more animal, while the 

 Chilognaths are the more vegetative ; this is due to the greater 

 concentration of the body headwards, and the more compact 

 build of the body behind the head. 



*The Myriapoda of North i.merica, by Prof. H. C. Wood jr., M.D., Philadel- 

 phia, 1S65. 



