Clare I a lam I Survey. 



33 

 CHILOPODA AND DIPLOPODA. 



By EEV. W. F. JOHNSON, M.A., T.E.S. 



Read November 11. Published December 5, 1912. 



Of the Myriapoda of Ireland very little is known, this group having been 

 almost entirely neglected by Irish naturalists. The only Irish record that I 

 can find previous to 1893 is a list published by the late Eobert Templeton in 

 1836. Beginning with 1893 we have five papers published on the subject in 

 the "Irish Naturalist" by Messrs. Pocock, Carpenter, Brolemann, and Selbie; 

 and this constitutes the sum-total of our knowledge of the Irish Myriapoda 

 to the present date. In these papers thirty-four species are enumerated, to 

 which I am now able to add two more, bringing the total up to thirty-six 

 species. As there are only some fifty species enumerated from Great Britain, 

 this list is not so meagre as would appear at first sight ; at the same time it 

 must be remembered that Great Britain is not much better off in the matter 

 of the investigation of these animals than Ireland is. 



The Myriapoda are divided into five Orders, of which we are, in the 

 Glare Island list, only concerned with two, viz., the Chilopoda or Centipedes, 

 of which the most familiar example is the long narrow yellow centipede 

 Geophilus, so often found in gardens ; and the Diplopoda or Millipedes, the 

 best-known of which is the shining black Julus Worm, -also met with in 

 gardens. In the Irish list there is a representative of a third Order, the 

 Symphyla. 



The work on the Myriapoda of the Clare Island district was carried out 

 under considerable difficulties. None of those who collected had any special 

 knowledge of the habits and habitats of these creatures, and all were engaged 

 in other work. It is therefore matter for congratulation that the list is as 

 good as it is. Of the thirteen species enumerated, eleven occurred on Clare 

 Island ; and, though we cannot hope to have a complete list of the species 

 from the mainland, it is highly interesting to find so many on the island, for 

 R. I. A. PROC, vor... xxsi. A 33 



