MYRIAPODA 



203 



restris) (Fig. 1 35, /), a shiny, smooth form, stiff and slippery 

 to the touch, and curling up rapidly when disturbed into a 

 flat spiral, as shown in the figure. There are about thirty 

 segments to the body, and the head bears on either side 

 a little cluster of eyes. 



Julus 1 can readily be kept iii captivity, and will breed in 

 the early summer months. The eggs are laid in a little cell 

 hidden in the earth ; this cell is about the size of a small nut, 

 and formed of earth particles made to adhere together with 

 saliva. Into it, 60 to 100 small eggs are passed by the mother 

 Julus, through an aperture at the upper end, which is after- 

 wards closed with earth. The eggs hatch in about twelve days. 



These Snake Millipedes sometimes do serious damage in 

 seedling beds, feeding on the soft young tissues. It is well to 

 divert their attention from these by putting down a few 

 potatoes to attract them, and then when a number have 

 collected in them, they can be removed and destroyed if 

 necessary. In ordinary beds of plants, how- 

 ever, they feed mainly on decaying vegetation. 

 Another Millipede not so com- 

 mon as Julus, but sometimes 

 found many together, is Polydesmus, in which 

 the cylindrical body has only nineteen or 

 twenty segments and no eyes (Fig. 136). 



Centipedes (Chilopoda) 



Centipedes differ from Millipedes in having 

 flattened bodies with only one pair of legs to 

 each body segment; also they have longer 

 antennae with at least fourteen joints. They 

 are active, fierce little creatures, feeding on 

 animal food. They stalk their prey and then ' 



kill it with the strong, poisonous first pair of ^^^; iZ^.—Poly- 



, , . , , , r 1 11... desmus, a com- 



legs, which are turned forwards and he just mon jiillipeile. 

 below the mouth. 



Lithobius forficatus may be found in most 

 gardens, hiding in corners under stones or leaves. 

 It has a flattened dark-coloured body with fifteen segments, 

 and fairly long strong legs, on which it runs swiftly over the 



^ Cainh. Nat. Hist. , Insects, Part I. 



Polydesmus. 



Lithobius. 



