ZOOLOGY. 125 



coast." It is doubtless the same species which distresses 

 the dogs so much. The Chigre, (P. penetrans), so well- 

 known in the West Indies, is also common ia Bermuda, 

 and many are the tales related of its dangerous attacks. 



Centipedes (Scol(^emdrce) are fortunately not common in 

 the Bermudas, and those that do exist frequent particular 

 spots where they are seldom disturbed, such as lumber 

 heaps, roots of old cedar trees, and other like places. 

 Specimens have been taken of great size ; one captured at 

 St. George's was kindly presented to us by Mr. Attwood, 

 and measured about six inches in length, including antenae 

 and hind legs ; but this is small in comparison to some, 

 which, from their venomous character and formidable 

 appearance, are much dreaded by the inhabitants. 



Small species of the Millipedes, (Juliis,) are frequently 

 met with, and are locally termed " forty claws." 



AEACHNIDA (Spiders, etc.) 



Five species of spider came under our notice, of which 

 the " silk spider " {JEjpeira clavipes) is the best known and 

 most attractive. This wonderful web-architect is extremely 

 common, and its strong and extensive web spreads from 

 tree to tree in all parts of the islands. It appears to 

 have been noticed by travellers as early as the seventeenth 

 century, at which period some remarks of its habits 

 appeared in the "Philosophical Transactions," stating that 

 "they spin their webs betwixt trees standing seven or 

 eight fathoms asunder ; and they do their work by spuming 

 their web into the air when the wind carries it from tree 

 to tree. The web when finished wiU snare a bird as big as 

 a thrush." Now we think this statement to be an exaggera- 



