Original Observations on Reptiles and Insects of Texas. 21 



lection, the insect's main jointed body was of a dark bluish- 

 green color, and its feet or fangs of a yellowish color. Shortly 

 before death, however, the entire forty-four legs, and in partic- 

 ular the large tail-end fangs, assumed a deep indigo blue and 

 peculiarly glittering color, caused perhaps by decomposition of 

 the venom. Cases of death from centipede bites are on rec- 

 ord, but I have never heard of an official death report from 

 such cause in Texas. However, lately a fatal case of centipede 

 bite has been reported in the daily press as having occurred 

 in a Texas town, in a girl of 18 years, bitten during night 

 time in the upper lip, and causing death under symptoms 

 similar to such as are caused by the sting of a centipede. How- 

 ever, it seems that such insect was not seen, and the question 

 is open as to whether it was not caused by some variety 

 of poisonous spider. The lips are supplied with very numer- 

 ous capillary vessels, and therefore they are liable to absorb 

 such inoculated virus quickly into the general circulation of the 

 blood, and for such reason the venom of such, or other animals, 

 acts much more severely and quickly, even causing death, than 

 if some other part of the body had been inoculated. The cen- 

 tipede generally causes a severe stinging puncture, discolora- 

 tion and rapid inflammation (in a circular area) around each 

 puncture of its sharp claws, and later ulceration and gangre- 

 nous sloughing, similar to a snake bite, sets in, and such ulcera- 

 tions are often very tedious to heal. The sting of a scorpion is 

 even more severe than that of a centipede, but is not as lasting, 

 and with much less continued inflammation and other conse- 

 quences. It is interesting sport to note a duel between a centi- 

 pede and a mouse, and an amusing incident may be recalled 

 here- Many years ago Mr. Adolph Dreiss had a large centi- 

 pede and two living mice in a glass jar under observation at his 

 drug store, and it happened that as soon as one of the mice came 

 near the centipede a fierce battle ensued, and after several fruit- 

 less efforts the centipede ultimately enwrapped the mouse with 

 its sharp claws and rolled around until the mouse was dead. 

 With the other mouse, though, it happened that the battle was 

 reversed. This mouse, with a sudden jump, caught "his honor," 

 the centipede, around the neck and bit it clear through, where- 

 upon the centipede was moribund. 



Regarding Texas reptiles again, a few other remarks and 



