CENTIPEDES AND MILLIPEDES 307 



of rubbish, in dark and damp places ; in the tropics they may- 

 creep into a shoe or a bath-sponge. They prey upon insects, 

 worms, and other such creatures, which they kill with their 

 poison-claws. Small Centipedes may creep into the throat 

 and nasal passages, or even into the intestine, of human 

 beings, and may be sneezed, coughed, or vomited up, or 

 even be passed per anuin, alive. Blanchard has collected a 

 considerable number of such cases. 



The " bite " inflicted by the poison-claws of a large 

 Centipede is very painful, and causes numbness and tingling 

 that may last for hours ; there is considerable local swelling, 

 which, it is said, may sometimes go on to suppuration and 

 sloughing ; beyond this there may be symptoms of constitu- 

 tional disturbance — sickness and faintness that may continue 

 or recur for some hours. It is sometimes stated that the bite 

 may be fatal, but I think it is an exaggeration to describe it 

 even as dangerous. The treatment is much the same as for 

 stings of venomous insects (p. 225) — astringent and anti- 

 septic lotions applied on lint and covered with guttapercha 

 tissue and bandage, so as to act as a poultice, are very 

 soothing. 



Centipedes are commonly grouped in two suborders, 

 namely, (i) PleurostigmaticB, with stigmata on the sides of 

 some of the segments ; and (2) Notostigmatia, with stigmata 

 on the hind edges of the terga of some of the segments. 



Of the Pleurostigmatice there are four families, character- 

 ised as follows : — 



Family Geophilidce. Body very long and slender, with 

 13 to 173 pairs of short legs. Antennae short, of 14 segments. 

 Stigmata on the pleura of a great many segments. No eyes. 

 Found in all parts of the world. 



Family Scolopendridce. Twenty-one to twenty-three pairs 

 of legs, which are fairly long. Antennae of 17 to 34 segments, 

 much shorter than the body. Eyes, when present, four on 

 each side. Stigmata nine, ten, eleven, or nineteen on each 

 side. The large Centipedes found in the tropics, some of 

 which attain a length of more than 6 inches, belong to this 

 family. 



The Scolopendridce are divided into three subfamilies, 

 namely, (a) Cryptopince, without eyes. Found in all parts of 



